He Holds my Cub Hostage
by SalinaSwathe
Summary: AU The humans have thrown the neko species to the brink of extinction, and now they only live to survive. Neko!Ulquiorra is forced to bear kits, but when the sire wishes to kill the runt of the litter- Ulqui's favourite kit - he leaves with the kit to keep it safe. However, a blue haired hunter stumbles upon them and wishes to take them home. Yaoi, BL, Language(?), Speciesism
1. Dictionary

_**Please Read!**_

A Guest expressed that it would be a good idea to have a dictionary chapter (Thank you by the way for the wonderful review, it made me so happy and even honored.) Here it is, a dictionary of all the words used in the story; something I probably should've considered making in the first place XD.I'll still write the mini dictionaries at the bottom of each chapter, but those words will also appear here! I'll also include where the word first appeared and significance if necessary. I'd really appreciate it if you alerted me about words missing from the dictionary.

Whoo hoo, I can move around the chapters now! How convenient!**_  
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* * *

_**The HHCH Dictionary (All words are Sanskrit unless otherwise stated)  
**_

**A**

_Accha: _Bear (Pan's nickname for Starrk; Ch 6)

_Agraja: _Big sister (Ch 7)

_Agriya: _Oldest (Ulqui's first born kit; Ch 10)

_Anuja:_ Little sister (Ch 7)

_Atridrutam: _Very fast (Ulqui's name before running away from home; Ch 7)

_Ayasa_: Trouble (The name of one of Ulqui's little brothers; Ch 9)

**B**

_Baubhuksa: _One who is always hungry (The name Ulqui suggested for Ayasa; Ch 10)

**C**

_Caru: _Pretty (Ch 6)

_Candra_: Moonstone (Silver's son; Ch 11)

_Cittacaura_: Lover/Heart thief (Ch 9)

**D**

_Dan huwa lingwa tiegħi. Stramb, huh?: _(Maltese) This is my language. Weird, huh? [Toshiro's language; Ch 4 (I used Maltese because it's also a breed of cat =^w^=)]

_Dauhitra: _Grandson (Ch 9)

_Dhanyavada:_ Thank you (Ch 5)

_Dinamani_: Sun Jewel (Silver's daughter; Ch 11)

_Durjana_: Bad man (Ch 4)

**E**

_Ekanetra: _One-eyed (Pan's nickname for Nnoitorra; Ch 5)

_Evam: _Really (Ch 5)

**F**

**G**

_Ganika: _Harlot (Ch 7)

_Grha: _Home (Ch 2)

**H**

_Himsa_: Mischief (the name of one of Ulqui's little brothers; Ch 9)

**I**

**J**

_Jami: _Brother or Sister (Ch 10)

_Jyestha:_ Big brother (Ch 7)

**K**

__Kada: __When (Ch 4)

_Kanistha: _Little brother (Ch 9)

_Karvara: _Tiger (A neko tribe; Ch 7)

_Kathora: _Strict (The name of Zaza's older brother; Ch 11)

_Kena: _Why (Ch 2)

_Kim: _What (Ch 3)

_Komala:_ Gentle (The name of one of Ulqui's chosen alphas; Ch 7)

_Ksudra: _Tiny (I couldn't find a word that actually meant "Runt" so I went with the next best thing; Ch 1)

_Kumbara: _Boy (The name of Pan's male doll; Ch 6)

_Kupitr: _Bad father (What Pan calls his birth father; Ch 4)

**L**

_Lajjalu:_ Shy (The name of Ulqui's big sister *Note* she is actually female; Ch 7)

_Leza: _Littleness (The brief nickname Komala bestowed upon Ulqui; Ch 8)

**M**

_Marjara: _Cat (The name of Ulqui's tribe; Ch 7)

_Matamaha: _Grandfather (Ch 8)

_Matamahi: _Grandmother (Ch 9)

_Matr_: Mother/Mommy/Momma (Ch 1)

_Matula: _Maternal uncle (Ch 7)

_Mauna:_ Silence (The name of Lajjalu's alpha; Ch 7)

**N**

_Nabhomani: _Sky Jewel (Silver's other daughter; Ch 11/12)

_Na kadapi: _Never (Ch 8)

_Na kimapi: _Nothing (Ch 3)

_Narya jamatr: _Human stepson (I'm not even sure why I kept it a secret anymore XD; Ch 8 &amp; 10)

_Ne: _(Japanese) A "tag question" put in sentences to either draw attention or ask for reflection (In this case, I used both forms "Hey, mom? Grimm's my dad, right, isn't he?"; Ch 2)

_Nidralu: _Sleepy (Pan's first attempt at a nickname for Starrk; Ch 6)

_Nitya: _Ordinary (The name of one of Ulqui's chosen alphas; Ch 9)

_Nrhan: _Green (Ulqui's former name; Ch 1)

**O**

**P**

_Pazuta: _Brutality (The name of Komala's father; Ch 8)

_Pezala_: Crafty (Ulqui's former mate *Note* Yeah... it's Aizen; Ch 11)

_Pindi karoti hindira_: Identifies as male (Lit. Identify with male; I tried but that phrase may be very wrong XD) (Ch 8)

_Pitr_: Father/Poppy (Ch 1)

_Prayah: _Almost (Ch 3)

_Punah: _Again (Ch 6)

_Putra:_ Son (Ch 8)

_Putri_: Daughter (Ch 7)

_Putrika: _Doll (The name of Pan's female doll; Ch 4)

**Q**

**R**

_Rajana: _Silver (The name of Pezala's first mate, and the mother of Dinamani, Nabhomani and Candra *Note* Yeah, you guys were right, it's Gin)

_Rati: _Love (Ch 2)

**S**

_Saniyas: _Older (Ulqui's second-born son; Ch 11)

_Sayuj: _Mate (Ch 4)

_Siddah: _Ready (Ch 7)

_Simah_: Lion (A neko tribe; Ch 7)

__Sri: __Mr (I'm using it as a title of status much like king or duke; Ch 9)

___Srimati: ___Mrs (I'm using it as a title of status much like queen or duchess; Ch 9)

_Stoka bidalika: _Little kitten (Ch 7)

_Subhavya: _Very pretty (Ch 7)

_Sulalita: Very playful_ (Ulqui's mother's name; Ch 9)

_Sundaram drzyase: _You look beautiful. (Ch 7)

_Suprabhata: _Good Morning (Ch 4)

**T**

_Tatha kimapi nasti: _No, it is not so (Think of it along the lines of "No. It can't be!"; Ch 10)_  
_

_Tilvila: _Fertile (The name of a villager who excels at farming; Ch 11)

_Trita_: Third (Ulqui's third-born son; Ch 11)

_Tvam kamiyami:_ I love you (Ch 5)

**U**

**V**

_Vegatama_: Fastest (The name of Ulqui's father *Note* I love his name because it's so close to Vegeta XD; Ch 8)

**W**

**X**

**Y**

_Yati_: Go (Ch 7)

**Z**

_Zardula_: Panther (A neko tribe; Ch 7)

_Zatha_: Rascal, Rogue, Miscreant (I really wanted to use punk, but that word wasn't available; Ch 8)

_Zaza/Zazaka: _Rabbit/Bunny (The name of Kathora's little sister, and Pan's only friend in the village; Ch 11)

_Zusma_: Strength (The name of Ulqui's big brother; Ch 7)


	2. I: Birth

This story won in the polls and is now up for everyone to read and enjoy! I hope you guys like it! ^_^

Quick note:

x~x: Are for significant time skips

b~~~d: Are point-of-view changes

* * *

It was getting colder and he needed to find shelter. He sighed as he stumbled over a raised branch in his haste and continued searching for somewhere. anywhere. to establish as a temporary territory for the coming winter months. It had been so much easier and much less stressful 5 years go when he was younger and lived in small pack with other nekos like him. But it couldn't last, that peaceful lifestyle. Not with the ever declining populace of nekos and plummeting births of female nekos and him being born a hermaphrodite with fully functioning reproductive parts. The moment he starting ovulating he had to run away or risk rape and bearing the kits of every male he'd ever known and trusted. He wasn't going to allow such embarrassment.

The wind picked up, whistling through the trees and whipping his long black hair and thread-bare lavender kimono about. He wrapped the thin fabric tighter around his shoulders and pulled his hair back, wishing he had something to tie the silky strands back with. Perhaps he'd keep an eye out for a bit of twine or plant fiber to use.

A twig snapped and he dropped into a crouch with my ears back. He felt the adrenaline start pumping and his green cat-eyes dilated as he turned in a small circles as he followed the sound of someone circling him. He growled in frustration and nervousness when the sound stopped. He turned in a few more circles before rising and turning to sprint away.

He grunted when a large weight hit his back and he was tackled to the ground. Not wasting time he yowled and spit and tried to get away from his assailant. All that ended when a pair of fangs latched onto the back of his neck and gave a curt yank, ending his ability to move. He growled low in his throat and dug his claws into the dirt as his soon-to-be "mate" untied his obi and lifted his tail. The sudden cold wind on his backside made him shiver more than he already was.

The neko male pressed his muscular chest into the smaller neko's back as he lifted his prize's hips and lined himself up.

He yowled as he was penetrated and he felt barbs cut into his vaginal walls and tear at them as his assailant gently thrusted. He just let his head hang in defeat.

There was no lust or passion in this act, only pain, purpose and duty. Since 50 years ago when the humans began to hunt the neko species, and dropped their already small population to under 1000 (In that region anyway), it had been the duty of all male nekos to kit all nekos able to conceive in hopes of getting a daughter. A daughter would give an alpha power and stability in life. The girl's father could use her as a bargaining chip as well as kit her to try to get more girls. Oh, how the neko society had fallen, and it was all the humans' fault.

He shivered as the male released deep within him and after a while his barbs retracted and he was able to pull out before releasing his grip on the other's neck.

The smaller neko tried to grab his obi and dart for the bushes but the other's heavy hand came down on his head and grabbed a large hunk of his hair. He began hissing and spitting again, desperate for escape, but the bigger neko only laid on top of him and whispered something in the other's ear that made him freeze.

He stopped fighting and allowed himself to be picked up and slung over the other's shoulder. He dangled there limply, taking in just how trapped he was. His captor was right; what would he have done if he'd managed to get away? If the mating had taken, and he birthed kits how would he have fed them and kept them safe? Especially if he had 4 or 5, maybe even 6 of them? They would all die within the first few months if he didn't die giving birth to them, surely. He would have to be this male's beta, for now anyway.

After a while of walking, he was set down and forced to crawl into a small cave. He looked at the cave's other inhabitant warily.

In the far corner was a silver-haired neko who he could not tell the gender of. The only thing clear was the large kit-burdened belly they were crushed under as they lazed on their back, breathing deeply as if asleep. They opened their purple eyes and watched him settle in the opposite corner where another set of bedding rested.

The alpha, a brown-haired neko, crawled over and gently caressed the silver-haired beta's stomach in a gesture that was almost obviously possessive, though the pregnant neko took comfort from it anyway. He then turned to the green-eyed beta, and crawled to him next. Without word he tore the beta's obi from his waist and then the kimono from his shoulders. He fought but his kimono was taken from him and he was left sitting there naked upon the small nest of leaves and warm pelts. He grit his teeth and pulled a pelt over his lap.

The alpha returned shortly and shoved a simple light blue kosode and black sash into the neko's arms and left again, no doubt to go hunting for his two betas.

The neko got dressed and sat silently in his corner as he awaited the alpha's return. He was starving, and alphas always brought hearty meals to there expecting betas and kits. There was a bright side to all this, it seemed.

The alpha returned with a nice sized deer for them all to dine on that day. Green nearly drooled as he waited for the alpha to prepare it, actually taking the time to cut it up and make it into a stew with roots, tubers, and wild vegetables. Needless to say, he had two bowls that evening.

Night came and Green curled up in his nest to sleep, but was awakened by a hand on his shoulder. He groaned, knowing who it was, and merely lifted his hips. The alpha would want to continue mating until he was sure his seed had taken. He was surprised when instead of mating from behind, he flipped Green onto his back. His hands were gentle as he untied his sash and revealed Green's pale lean chest. The alpha leaned forward and gave him a small peck to the underside of his chin and nipped a trail down to his sternum.

It seemed this alpha knew what it was to make love and bring pleasure to his mate; rare knowledge in these times. Green laid there stoically as the alpha ran his hands over his chest and gently played with his nipples. He didn't get a response until he wrapped his large hand around Green's smaller length. Green gasped and gripped the other's wrist in surprise as he was jerked stiff. His back arched as he was penetrated without the barbs engaged. His stoic facade began failing with each thrust until he was mewling and writhing under his alpha.

He didn't last long, soon coating his stomach in white jism, and then flinching as the alpha's barbs engaged and he shot his seed into him for the second time that day. The alpha cleaned off Green's stomach as he waited for his barbs to disengage and fixed his kosode and sash. He caressed his thin stomach semi-lovingly before pulling out and leaving the cave. Green sighed and went back to sleep

Months went by and Green's stomach grew, and, in the dead of winter, the purple-eyed neko bore his kits: a boy with brown hair and eyes, and silver ears and tail, and twin girls with beautiful silver hair, brown eyes and brown and silver spotted ears and tails. The alpha was obviously gleeful of the litter, spending much time playing and caring for them as their mother rested and recuperated from the multiple births.

They grew quickly, and by the time it was spring, they were already escaping the cave and having to be dragged back by their sire.

Soon it was Green's turn to birth his litter, and difficulties were expected due to his small hips. At the start of his contractions he tried to brace himself against the wall in hopes that it would be the easiest way for him to push them out that way, but his alpha forced him to lay down with his legs wide and elevated slightly. A lot of blood and tears were shed, but soon he pushed out four kits before passing out. Green faded in and out of consciousness for the next few days, but when he was well enough he was finally able to see what he'd birthed. Four boys, one of which was a runt. The healthy three had black hair and brown eyes but their ears and tail colors varied. They were already crawling about, following the other beta's children around and generally making a nuisance of themselves.

The runt of the litter, however, laid still at Green's side, curled up tightly with his eyes tightly closed. Silver told him that the runt had barely moved since he came out of the womb, and probably wouldn't survive more than three months. The snake giggled and went back to playing with his little boy.

Green scowled and carefully pulled the shivering kit to his chest. The kitten mewled pitifully and suckled on the finger his mother pressed against his lips in search of nourishment. He felt around his mouth finding no sign of teeth growing though the other three were already hunting each other with baby fangs. He forced himself into an upright position and cradled the kitten in his arms.

The alpha entered with bowls balanced in his hands, and raised an eyebrow at Green before passing out dinner. Green's kits watched as Silver's kits passed about the bowl they shared each taking a small sip before passing it along. They mimicked them, though they merely left the bowl in the center of them and took turns leaning down to take a sip. Green watched for a moment before leaning forward and dipping a finger into the bowl. His kits mewled unhappily and nipped at his hand, but he ignored the tiny fanged assault and pressed the soupy finger to his runt's lips and he began to suckle again. Green kept feeding him like this, enduring a small sharp biting every time until the alpha returned with a bowl of soup for him and he fed the small kit from his own bowl. He fed him until the runt stopped suckling and fell asleep, and Green ate the rest of the soup before laying down.

His other kits crawled over and snuggled into his stomach for the night and were soon asleep. Green ran a careful hand over their heads and closed his eyes.

A soft growl sounded, and his eyes popped open just as he felt someone grab the kitten in his arms. He yowled and lashed out at the hand and pressed his kit to his chest protectively. Green looked over his shoulder at the glowing brown eyes of his alpha. Of course, he should've know. No alpha in their right mind would keep such a small kit for long. They were a wasted investment, usually growing to be very weak and unable to hunt if they didn't die at a young age. He wouldn't let his alpha kill this kit, his kit. He hissed at him, and hunched over the pitiful thing.

His alpha tugged at the collar of Green's kosode angrily before giving up and leaving, for now anyway.

Every night for the next month the same would happen. Green's alpha would come into the cave in the dead of night, and try to take Runt from his mother's arms, but fail when Green awakened and swiped his claws at him. Sleep was becoming harder and harder for Green to come by, and soon he would only lie there, wide awake, until the moon fell, and sunset broke over the horizon.

Dark bags grew underneath his eyes, and he began having headaches, but at least Runt was doing well. His eyes were open now showing off their odd partial heterochromial eyes; the outside of his iris was brown while the inside was green. The little one would run around and play with the other, bigger kits, though Green had to stay vigilant or his big brothers would bully him. He always ended the bullying with a quick swipe at their bottoms though.

He spent most of the day lying on his back, listening to Silver heckel at him for having and protecting a "useless runt." He'd alway urge him to let the alpha kill him, or if he cared so much maybe he should kill Runt with his own hands. Green would ignore him the best he could, and doze for as long as possible.

Another month went by and the night attacks didn't relent, they got worse.

The alpha dragged Green from the cave and put him outside with Runt under a nearby tree. The alpha tied Green's ankles together, and wrapped one end of a rope around his neck and the other end to a low branch. Green simply stared blank faced at him. He understood well. His alpha wished to punish him as well as break him for future matings. Green wouldn't let this male have his way. He pressed Runt to his chest protectively and diverted his eyes.

The alpha huffed and went back to the cave.

Green was miserable for the next few days. The bindings itched terribly, and everytime he tried to lay down he'd hang himself a little. And then there was the rain. It was cold, and the tree gave no shelter from it so Green had to bear with being soaked to the bone and hunching awkwardly over Runt to keep him dry. A shadow passed over him during one particularly stormy day, and he wasn't surprised when he looked up to see his brown-haired mate looming over him. His eyes asked the usual silent question, and Green answered the query with the usual diverting of his eyes.

He snarled and yanked the rope from around his neck and forced Green onto his stomach with his arms pinned behind his back. He wrapped the rope around his wrists and then around his torso before climbing up to where he had secured the other end of the rope. He hoisted Green up, and let him dangle a foot off the ground. Runt whimpered and pulled at Green's foot trying to get him down, but could do nothing.

The alpha hopped down from the branch and Runt latched onto his leg. The alpha growled and kicked the tiny kit away, sending him into the tree trunk where he fell to the ground and lied still. Green snarled angrily at his alpha and received a harsh slap.

The alpha stalked back to cave leaving them both there, more vulnerable than before. Green feared for his kit, but ultimately could do nothing as the sun began to set. Adrenaline kicked in as the night sounds of the surrounding forest picked up.

The moon was overhead when he heard growing nearby. He looked down to his kit and called to him, waking the youngling from his slumber. He ordered the boy to climb the tree he hung from. The kit gave him a nervous look but began his struggle to climb the large tree. Green yelled when he didn't climb fast enough, making him whimper frightfully.

Green knew he was being cruel to the kit, that climbing a tree at his age was incredibly arduous, but the kit really needed to be in the tree if what he thought the growl had come from was what he thought it to be.

Runt settled himself on the branch his mother dangled from just as a pair of wolves came through the trees and laid their eyes upon Green. They snarled and circled him hungrily, making the neko's heart race in fear. With a loud bark one pounced at him and latched onto his ankle. Green screamed and kicked his other leg at the wolf as it yanked on it, either trying to pull the neko down or tear the appendage off.

There was a wildcat's snarl and the wolf was yanked from Green's leg. There were snarls and dog whimpers as the alpha took down the wolf and the other ran away. He stood over the wolf's dead body before going to assess the damage.

There was more blood than actual wounds, and his ligaments and tendons were intact, it just needed a bandage which the alpha readily tore from Green's already ruined kosode. The male licked the wound to clean it and then tied the bandage tight before he rose from his crouch and did a quick sweep of the surroundings. His brown eyes fell upon the tiny kit in the tree and his shoulders fell as he groaned.

Green burst into tears. The bastard had known. He'd known that there were wolves nearby and had probably hoped that one would carry off the baby neko.

That bastard...

That. Bastard!

The alpha tried to cup his chin, but Green shook his head wildly and kicked him away. He screamed at him, venting his grief and frustration at the male. The male grunted and went back to the cave. Green screamed until he was out of sight and his voice was hoarse and then he just sobbed and dangled there. He needed to get Runt away from that male; far away.

He slipped into a weary, depressed daze for a few hours.

_Snap!_

Green gasped and looked up; Runt was biting at the rope. He held in a yelp when the rope gave way, and he fell. His legs were jelly from hanging there all day, and he fell hard unable to use his hands to catch himself. He struggled for a bit but managed to extend his claws and cut away at the rope. He stood and looked back at his kit. He held his arms out for Runt to hop into.

The baby neko stared at his mother for a bit before sliding off of the branch and dangling there. He let out a whimper and let go. Green caught him easily and gave the brave kit a kiss on his forehead. He held the kit close and limped away from his alphas territory as fast as he could.

x~x

A year went by without incident.

Runt was bigger, though still miniscule compared to other kits his age. He was bright and attentive, and could always tell how his mother was feeling despite Green never showing any emotion. He was skilled hunter when it came to little things like rodents and ground-dwelling birds. He was a bundle of energy, but managed to stay out of too much trouble, and his mother had made him a little deer hide skirt to keep his little butt warm.

Green's ankle had healed perfectly, and he could easily keep up with his energetic son, and hunt for food for them. He'd even gotten his hands on a new kimono and used the old tattered kosode to make a bag that he kept random essentials in. There were a couple of stone knives, a small clay pot, and a water flask inside, and since he'd become accustomed to spending his sleeping hours high in the trees, he'd made a net of plant fibers and extra cloth which he hanged from a branch and put Runt into. He sometimes even carried the kit around in the net when they traveled.

Runt squealed and ran at a berry bush before diving inside and dining on the ripened berries. Green shook his head and joined him, happy that he wouldn't have to hunt today if kit ate enough of them. They dined for nearly half an hour and kit emerged from the bush coated in berry juice. Green grabbed his kit by his scruff and carried him over to the nearby stream to clean him off.

Runt squealed again when the cold water hit his bottom. Green rubbed water onto the kits hands and arms while he licked off the sticky juice on his cheeks and chin. With those clean he ran some water through Runt's hair, ears and tail before letting the boy stand and shake himself. He opened his kimono and shoved the boy inside to stay warm while he climbed a tree for the night. He hanged the makeshift net from a high sturdy branch and put Runt inside who curled up and was almost instantly asleep.

If he could just get his hands on more cloth he could make a blanket for the upcoming winter, but so far he'd had no luck, and he wasn't going to risk going near a human civilization for it. He let it slip from his mind for now, and went to sleep.

The sun hit his face and he carefully stretched, letting one hand come to rest on the net. He sat up and looked around worriedly when he didn't find Runt inside, but quickly spotted the kit carefully scooting his way down the tree. He put the net away in his bag and hopped from branch to branch to the ground where he waited. When Runt got close enough he pulled him off the trunk and set him on the ground. The tiny neko ran off behind a tree for his usual morning pee, and Green joined him in his task, though behind a different tree.

They finished and went to leave the area. Green let Runt lead the way, calling to him when he got too far. He spotted something and called for Runt to stop while he checked it out.

It was a large tarp, probably from a human camping trip. It made him nervous that he was finding something like this so deep in the forest, but he counted himself lucky for finding a blanket nonetheless and folded the thick tarp before shoving it into his bag.

_"Matr*!"_

Green went stiff at the sound of Runt's scream. He flew into action at the second one, running towards where the scream had come from. He was out of breath by the time he'd rounded a corner and jumped on top of a half fallen tree trunk. He froze there and stared wide-eyed at what was before him.

A human, and his kit dangled limply from his hand by his scruff. Green settled into a crouch and prepared to pounce. He froze again when the human pulled out his weapon.

b~~~d

It was a nice day for hunting, the sky was clear and the air was crisp, he'd wait for evening and then go after some deer, maybe even a moose. Moose was big bank lately. His rifle weighed heavily, but securely on his back as his crept through the trees. Imagine his surprise when he saw one of the rarest predators in the forest, albeit a baby version.

It was a baby neko. From his size, the hunter could tell that he was young, too young to be very far from his parents, so they were probably somewhere nearby. This neko was... silly. He was dancing around, happily flailing his arms, waving his tail about, and humming tunelessly.

The hunter covered his mouth in time to muffle an amused snort and he carefully strolled forward. He wasn't gonna hurt the kid, nah the neko population was low enough as it was. He just wanted to pet the cute boy. It wouldn't take long, he'd just give those ears a nice scratch and be on his way.

He did a little hop forward and landed with his hand on the kitten's head. It startled the neko, but once the hunter started scratching his ears the boy melted in his hands. The hunter smiled and gently stroked the boy's tail like he used to do to his pet cat when he was just a little ankle biter. The neko mewled happily.

He chuckled. "So cute." The boy's ears perked up and he turned to look at the hunter. "Keep that up, and I may just take you home. I'd been meaning to get a new cat."

The neko's oddly colored eyes went wide, and the hunter cursed.

_"Matr!"_

The hunter cursed again and yanked the tiny neko up just as he screamed again.

_Shit! What am I thinking?! I should've let him run off and headed for the hills. _The hunter had read about just how scary neko males could get. And neko mothers? Yeah, he'd be lucky to make it out with some skin left. He looked up when he heard a thump, seeing a wide-eyed neko there.

Male or female, the neko was a pretty sight. Its long black hair fell past its chin, framing a pale petite face with big green eyes. It was posed with one slender leg out of its pale green kimono. The hunter wasn't able to stare for long, because the adult neko moved into a crouch.

The hunter panicked and whipped of the handgun he kept in his belt. The neko froze.

"Oh, so you know what this is, huh?"

He had to think fast. He couldn't just point the gun and put the kid down, the moment the kitten was out of harm's way, the parent would go after him. He couldn't just run away with the kid either.

His eyebrows lifted as he realized something. There were no other nekos around. That meant that this was the only child, and either the mother or the father wasn't in the picture.

"You know... I'd been meaning to get a new cat... I think I can handle two."

The hunter started to carefully back up, following the same path he'd used to get there. The adult growled and slowly followed him like he'd hoped. It maintained so much focus on the hunter and his child that it stumbled over a root or branch here and there.

The hunter managed to lead the neko back to where he'd parked his pick-up. He beckoned to the neko a few times and finally it came near him. He dropped the gun and grabbed the neko's scruff. With a sigh he set the kitten on the ground, knowing that it wouldn't go anywhere so long as he had his guardian. Then again, the kit would run off in search of it's other guardian if his original hypothesis was wrong. Just as he hoped the kit immediately latched onto the older neko's leg screaming, _"Matr! Matr!"_

He felt a little bad for the panicking kitten, but reached into his trunk and grabbed a chain he kept back there for securing his usual catches_. _It took some careful maneuvering, but he managed to get the neko's arms behind his back and chain them together. He wrapped the rest around his neck, forcing it against the neko's larynx, and put the neko in the back seat.

The baby mewled sadly as the hunter shut the door. The hunter pulled a zip-tie from his back pocket, and fastened it around the kitten's wrists. He put the kitten in the front seat, and fastened the seat belt over his lap. He cracked the window enough to let in fresh air, and slammed the door shut.

The hunter sighed leaned down and grabbed his discarded handgun and shouldered his rifle. He went to get into the driver's side, but stopped and looked at the forest. He was certain that these two were the only ones, but he had to make sure.

x~x

It took two hours, but the hunter managed to scour the area where he'd found the two nekos, and found, as he thought, no others, so he headed back to his truck. It was getting dark, but he managed to get back without needing to take out his flashlight. He threw his hunting bag and rifle into the chest in the trunk, and took out the water bottle he kept back there. He went to the back seat where the adult neko was, and opened the door. He snarled at the hunter, but he just muttered "Be quiet" and pressed the valve of the water bottle to his lips. The neko wouldn't drink so he gave up and got in the front seat.

The hunter smiled when he looked over at the kitten, who was fast asleep. He opened the water bottle's valve again and pressed it to the little one's mouth. He flinched but sucked down a few gulps of water before waking up. He tried to pull away but the hunter kept it against his mouth. He grabbed the boy's wrists with his free hand and made him hold the water bottle. The neko took it and eagerly sucked down the water.

The hunter turned the key, and the truck hummed to life, he backed onto the dirt path before heading back to the main road.

b~~~d

The box Green was in finally stopped moving and the human got out, he snarled angrily when he pulled Runt from the box, but ultimately could do nothing. He waited in an angry silence as the light in the box went out and he was left there alone.

He was disgusted with himself.

How could he have let this happen after staying safe for an entire year. He should've realized that something was up when he found that tarp, but had foolishly dismissed the notion. He deserved whatever the human planned for him, but he wanted his kit to be safe! Green tried to shift but the metal chain pressed against his larynx stopped him.

Green squinted when the light in the box turned back on when the human opened it. The human grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him out. He muttered something Green couldn't quite understand and pushed him towards the home before him.

It was like deja vu. The neko was taken to a mostly empty room and made to sit in a far corner. He heard Runt's mewls coming from a door nearby, and gently called to him, calming his panicked mewls a little.

The human wrapped a white strip around his ankles and it seemed to magically stay there. He began to unwrap the chains, but stopped long enough to shove a thick piece of cloth in his mouth before unwrapping the chains. Green had to admit that that had been a smart move; he'd actually been planning on biting him first chance he got. He took the neko's bag and using another white strip, the human tied Green's hands in front of him.

The human removed the cloth from Green's mouth, set the bag aside and went to the door that Runt was behind. He kneeled in front of the kit and pulled out a knife.

Green's heart skipped a beat and he snarled viciously.

The human showed his palms in a calming gesture before using the knife to cut the white strip around the kit's wrists. He closed the door and left the room.

Green listened to the human grow farther and farther before starting the awkward task of crawling over to the door. He sat next to it with his ear to it. Green heard Runt sniffling quietly inside. He reached up and tried to open it, but the knob wouldn't turn and he soon gave up.

_"M-Matr?"_

"Hn?"

Runt said nothing more, and Green heard him settle against the door separating them.

Green heard the human reenter the room and looked to him. He carried something with bowls on it and a sheet over his shoulder, but set the bowls down near the door he'd come from and stalked over to the neko.

He grabbed the back of Green's kimono and dragged him back to his corner despite his growls. When he got close enough, Green reached out and slashed at his face leaving three shallow scratches.

The human exclaimed before rearing back his hand and slapping Green. The neko fought back the dizziness the strike caused and hissed weakly.

The human shook his head and went over to where he'd left the bowls. He handed one to Green and went back to Runt with a second one. When he opened the door, Runt tried to dart away, but was easily tripped and dragged back. The human put Runt in his lap and dipped a spoon in the bowl. He blew on it for a while before urging the kit to eat from it. Runt looked to his mother, and at his nod, took a tentative bite.

The human chuckled and murmured something when Runt made a delighted sound.

Green looked at the bowl he held and sipped from it. He couldn't taste any meat, but it still tasted good and he found that it was quite filling when he finished. The human took the empty bowl and shook it at him slightly, repeating a single word.

Green didn't understand the word, but from the shaking he correctly concluded that the human was asking him if he wanted more soup. He shook his head, knowing that that was an almost universal way that humans denied something.

The human nodded and left with both bowls.

When Green looked he saw that the human had already locked his kit away again. His ears drooped sadly and he crawled over to it. He listened closely and heard the sound of rustling fabric and a sleepy sigh. He didn't call to the kit, knowing him to be asleep with a full belly. His ears perked a little at the familiar sound, and he got comfortable.

He wouldn't be sleeping for a while.

b~~~d

The hunter finally found another extra blanket in the closet in the basement and carried it back to the guest room where he was keeping his "guests". The guest room was cold, and unfortunately it would stay that way until he closed the windows, but as it was they had to stay open so that the room could air out; especially that closet he was keeping the little neko in. He hoped that sheet he'd wrapped the kitten in was warm enough. He stopped just before reaching the door and turned to go back to the basement.

He found an old laundry basket he wasn't using and filled it halfway with clean clothes (they were summer clothes so he wouldn't be missing them) and carried it back upstairs. He opened the door to the guest room, and green cat eyes looked at him. He tried shooing the adult away from the closet door, but of course that didn't work. The hunter just ignored him and unlocked and opened the closet door, making the neko need to move out of the way so that he wouldn't get hit with it. The hunter went inside the walk in closet and looked at the kitten still bundled up in the blanket on the floor. He set the basket nearby and scooped him up. He shushed the kit when he mumbled sleepily and set him inside the basket. He scooted the basket into a corner before leaving and locking the door once more.

He looked to the neko kneeling near him and gently took it by the arm; after that little incident earlier, he wanted avoid spooking it. He dragged him back to his corner and prepared to cover him with the blanket he still carried. Curiosity came over him and he stopped. With his head cocked to the side he flipped the neko onto his stomach, moved the kimono to the side and lifted his tail. He raised an eyebrow. "Both, huh? So did you birth tiny tyke over there or assist in the birthing process?" He grunted when the tail reached up and popped him in the mouth.

The neko reached back as far as he could and pulled the kimono back over his legs.

The hunter chuckled. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry for invading your privacy. But its your own fault for being so gender-neutral in the first place!" He threw the blanket over the neko, whom he decided to think of as male, and left again, this time turning off the light.

He paused and looked at the neko before closing the door. "Don't worry. I'll take good care of you and your kitten."

x~x

He popped by the library the next day to check out some old tomes about the neko species. They were dusty and bit brittle, but he found out a few things. Some customs of the neko people, eating and sleeping habits, even the language they used in this particular region: Sanskrit, as odd as that was. He found a section with old names and scribbled down a few before snagging a couple of picture books and leaving for home.

He went to the guest room and found them the same way he'd left him: the kitten tucked away in the closet and his mother/father sitting outside the door. He sighed when he saw the claw marks on the closet door. He let the small matter go and gently pushed him out of the way. He unlocked the door and readied himself before opening it, and just as he thought, the kitten made a break for it, but he snatched him up.

"I'm gonna have to ask you to quit that..." he muttered. He noticed a smell and sniffed at the neko. "Yeah, you need a bath." He tossed the picture books into the closet and headed for the door.

The boy's parent yowled protectively and he waved him off. "Pipe down! I'm only taking him across the hall. I'll leave the door open if that'll make you feel better." He carried him to the bathroom and ran a warm bath for him. When the tub was full he took off the hide skirt he wore and put him in. The kitten settled and began swimming around a little, giggling happily. The hunter smiled and grabbed the shampoo. He rubbed it into a lather in his palms and combed it into the kitten's black hair and ears; the boy seemed to really enjoy it. "You remind me of my cat, you know that?" he murmured. He paused as he thought for a bit. "I was originally going to give you one of the names I'd found in that book, but I think I'll name you after him. I'm sure he won't mind. It's Pantera. You like that name?"

The kitten just gave him a curious look with those odd colored lamps, having had no clue what he'd just said to him.

He rinsed out his hair and went back to the room to the other neko. "You'd might as well join him." He slung the neko over his shoulder and carried him to the bathroom. He set him on the toilet and managed to cut away the zip-ties around the neko's wrist and ankles without getting another scratch. He was surprised when the neko stood, removed his kimono, and hopped into the bath himself.

He stooped down to pick up the abandoned garment, and left, figuring that he'd have to get it cleaned. He returned with some clothes and the paper with the names on it. He sat down on the toilet lid and started trying out some of the names. Saying them and listening closely to each syllable. He tried calling to the neko with a few of the names but only managed to get a weird look out of the male.

He got to the end of the list with no luck.

"Ulquiorra," he murmured. "I like it. It's one of the weirder ones. Sorta like my name." He managed to touch the neko's hair without earning a scratch. "It's Grimmjow, by the way. Weird right? It's some sort of old German name or something; I forget what my old man actually said. But, yeah. I think I'll give you that name, but I'll call you Ulqui to save some time."

Pantera suddenly came to the side of the tub with his hands out, palms up. He pantomimed scrubbing his hair and Grimmjow understood. He squirted a bit of shampoo in his palms, and watched as the boy rubbed it into a semi-lather and then scrubbed it into his parent's hair. He let him continue before murmuring that they had to rinse out his hair. Pantera stared cluelessly, but after repeating "rinse" a few times and a bit of pantomiming, the boy understood and started rinsing out Ulquiorra's hair.

Grimmjow humphed. Yeah, he liked that name. He unplugged the tub's stopper and grabbed a towel. Pantera hopped in after some gentle coaxing and he dried the kitten off before tugging an old t-shirt over his head. He scooted him off in the direction of the guest room and went to work on Ulquiorra.

After a snarl from the neko, Grimmjow just handed him the towel and then the clothes. The clothes were way too big on the small neko, but they made him look cute despite his emotionless face, and the sleeves of the shirt even covered those nasty claws of his. With a little chuckle, he guided the neko back to the guest room.

b~~~d

Green didn't know what to make of the human who'd captured them, and neither did he know whether he was in danger or not. The human didn't appear to want to hurt them, he was even taking care of him and Runt. He feared that the human wanted to be his alpha for a bit there, but the way the human acted, so friendly and careful with them, eased his worries. However, he still didn't know why the human was keeping them there.

Two days later the human still hadn't given back his kimono, but he didn't mind, the clothes he wore now were big, but warm, and Runt was a lot more covered in that baggy dress he was wearing. Though, if he had anything to complain about anything it would have to be the metal collar the human had put on him which was affixed to the wall by a long chain.

Runt was sitting in the human's lap, just out of reach. The human was teaching them one of the many human languages, showing them something and then repeating a word. Today he was... doing something.

He'd point at himself and say, "Grimm," and then point at Runt and say, "Pantera." Green understood clearly; the human, Grimm, was naming them. However, it took a few repeats before Runt understood.

"Gimm?"

The human nodded.

"Paterra?"

He nodded again and then pointed at Green. "Ulquiorra."

Green stared for a bit. He rather liked the names, afterall they were better than the simple names _"Nrhan*" _and _"Ksudra*"_ he'd given to them.

Grimm repeated it to Runt, or rather Pantera, a few times and kept getting a very confused look from the kit.

Pantera shook his head and pointed. _"Matr!"_

Grimm frowned at that and repeated the new name for the kit's mother with the same result.

Green sighed. "Ulquiorra." Grimm looked at him in surprise and he repeated the other two names. He stared unsteadily when Grimm walked over to him and sat next to him with runt still in his lap.

Grimm spoke to him and pet his head. Ulqui slapped the hand away and pulled his son into his lap. The kit babbled happily.

"_Matr?"_

"Hm?"

"Gimm _pitr?_"

Father? Would Grimm be a good father to Pantera? Ulquiorra stared at Grimm as the human toyed with the kit's feet and tail, making the him squeal with glee.

Father? Not possible...

* * *

**_Dictionary (Sanskrit):_**

_Ksudra: _Tiny(I couldn't find a word that actually meant "Runt" so I went with the next best thing.)

_Nrhan: _Green

_Matr: _Mom/Mother

_Pitr _: Dad/Father


	3. II: Rebirth

It got colder, but the human, Grimm, made adjustments to the room that made it a little warmer. He had also given them warmer clothes, they were still baggy and didn't fit at all, but Run -er- Pantera didn't seem to mind one bit. Ulquiorra was still kept separated from his kit, but after a while he didn't mind so much. He finally decided that he and his kit were definitely in no danger, staying with this human, but he still didn't trust him, and watched him warily when he entered the room. From looking through the clear stone on the wall near him, he saw that the trees were changing colors and sometimes frost would cling to the grass and the edges of the clear stone.

Ulquiorra gasped when he felt a large hand grasp his tail. He was pressed into the wall before he could turn and strike so he glared over his shoulder at the human pinning him. Grimm said words to him soothingly, but they were words he didn't understand yet. He grumbled lowly as the blue haired man wrapped his arms around his waist and nuzzled his ears lovingly.

"Gimm _pitr_?"

Both adults flinched and looked at the hopeful-eyed kit. Grimm released Ulquiorra and picked Pantera up, mumbling some words to him before pressing a kiss to his cheek, and placing him on his mother's back He latched on and peeked at his mother over his shoulder.

"_Ne_* _Matr_? Gimm _pitr ne, ne?"_

Ulquiorra sighed and pulled his kit to the front of him. "Is Grimm my father? Can Grimm be my father?" The boy had been asking those questions for a week now, and Ulquiorra still wasn't sure how to answer him. He didn't want to say no, but he definitely didn't want to say yes. He looked to the human when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"No bite," Grimm said holding up the key to the metal collar around Ulqui's neck. He repeated the words again and unlocked the collar. Ulqui perked an ear as he grasped his hand and pulled him from the room and towards the front of the human den, He stopped and picked up a pile of papers and set some sandals in front of Ulqui, after some coaxing the neko finally put them on, and Grimm led him out of the house.

Grimm opened the door of the box and wrapped the belts over him, Pantera tried to crawl into his lap, but was stopped. He closed the door, making Ulquiorra snarl, and opened the back door. "Pantera, here." Pantera whimpered at him, but Grimm held a steady glare and he eventually crawled into the back and was tied back.

Grimm hopped into the seat next to Ulqui, rattled off some words and made the box move. This was the second time he'd rode in the box and this time he could look out the window and survey the areas they passed by._  
_

There were humans everywhere, Ulquiorra bared his teeth and hissed at the sheer multitude. He couldn't understand how they could all live in such big tribes. They couldn't have possibly known _everyone_ in it, so wouldn't that lead to unnecessary stress? The box stopped and Grimm hopped out with the pile of papers in hand He made no indication that he wanted them to follow, so the neko stayed put and waited. He was gone for a while.

There was a tap on the clear stone in the door and Ulquiorra woke from his boredom induced daze with a start. There were humans on the other side of the door pointing and gawking at him. He snarled at them, showing off his long fangs to them. They held up small thin boxes and lights flashed from them.

Grimm rushed over and frightened them away. He opened Ulquiorra's door and stroked the neko's hair for a second. Ulquiorra would be lying if he'd said he didn't take comfort from the simple gesture; being cornered by such a large horde of unfamiliar humans was jarring. He turned to check on his kit, but saw that he was fast asleep. Something wrapped around his neck and tightened, and Grimm shut the door before going over to Pantera and wrapping something around his neck as well.

Ulquiorra touched it. It was a collar of soft hide that had a cool flat stone hanging from it with etchings in it. Pantera seemed to wear the same thing. The box rocked as Grimm got back in and he made it move again.

b~~~d

The line at the registration office had been murder, but he managed to get through it all without punching someone, and got Ulquiorra and Pantera registered as quote-unquote citizens in the country, but also as his pets. It was a rare thing, but people who began keeping nekos as pets started the "citizenship" trend and the ones with power and money got the government to fall through with it, though they still hadn't passed the bill that would outlaw hunting the poor creatures. As part of the law, he had to get them collars with their names, and he'd even given them their own last name: "Cifer". They would still be listed under "Jaegerjaquez" however.

His temper reared its ugly head when he stepped out to see a bunch of people around his car. Needless to say, he cursed at them and threatened to call the cops if they didn't back off. They did. He calmed himself- as well as Ulqui -by petting his dark locks, and put the collars on him and the kitten.

He drove to the local mall to get them some clothes of their own.

The drive was short, and he was soon ushering them to the store front and settling Pantera in the child seat of the shopping cart. Grimm made Ulquiorra walk between him and the cart as he strolled down the aisles, petting the adult neko's head soothingly every time he tensed and hissed at passing shoppers. The shoppers jumped away from them in fright before whipping out their phones and snapping pictures.

Grimm scratched his ears again. "Stop that. You know you're drawing more attention to yourself doing that right?" The neko continued to growl and Grimm let him.

"Excuse me, sir?" Grimm turned to whom ever was talking and saw that it was a security guard. "You can't have those here."

Grimmjow glared making the portly man flinch. "Those?"

"The nekos, you can't have them here."

"Why the fuck not?"

"It's against the law, sir."

"Oh, really," Grimmjow muttered, unimpressed by the obviously speciesist prick standing in front of him. "Show me. Show me the fucking law that bars me from bringing my nekos into a store to get new clothes for them. If you can't then back the fuck off, and stay away from us."

Someone new walked up. "What seems to be the problem?"

Grimm sighed. _Great. What now?_

"Forgive me I was just about to escort this man and his pets from the premises," the security guard announced.

The new man, the manager, regarded Grimm and his nekos and looked back to the security guard. "Was there a problem?"

"Uh, yes he brought unlicensed nekos into the establishment."

Grimmjow scoffed. "Don't try to save your ass now, you didn't even ask for any type of legal documents. You just came up and started hasslin' me! Look, that guy over there filmed the whole thing." The guy with his phone out waved nervously.

The manager addressed him in a respectful tone. "Well, sir, do you have said documents?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." He went into his wallet and whipped out the two license cards he had for his nekos. The manager took them and carefully studied them both. A smile grew on his gob and she looked to Grimm.

"Everything checks out. I'm sorry for the mix-up. Please enjoy the rest of your visit to our store." He turned and walked away, ushering the security guard away with him.

A shit-eating grin formed on the bluenet's face and he gently pushed Ulquiorra and the cart towards the clothes section. Underwear was first and then came the actual clothing. Shirts and pants the neko didn't shy away from when Grimm held it up to his smaller frame. He got a pair of sandals that fit him, but didn't bother with anything else since he didn't foresee himself letting either neko outside this upcoming winter.

The same went for Pantera, though he grabbed a small knit cap for him, just because he thought it looked cute. That and a larger sized shirt that the little one could wear as a nightgown. He got him some little sandals and picked up a car seat as well.

Once he was done, he went to the pet section hoping to find some sort of treat they'd like. He found the neko equivalent of Tootsie pops -hard and fruity outer shell with the center being a small ball of catnip instead of "tootsie"- and some squid jerky. He also grabbed a bright yellow, hollow yarn-ball that had a bell in it which Pantera immediately began to shake and gnaw on excitedly. He grabbed some other random groceries that he remembered he needed, or just thought that he needed, and headed for the checkout area. The woman working the checkout station cooed at Pantera as she rung up Grimm's purchases, and laughed at the adorably pathetic face he made when Grimm momentarily took the yarn-ball so that it could be rung up as well.

He got them back to the car and buckled in, Pan being secured in his new car seat, before throwing the bags on the back seat next to the kitten and pulling out some treats for them and himself. Pantera rested his new toy in his lap as he licked at his sweet treat, and Ulqui sniffed at his squid jerky suspiciously.

"Go on and eat it, it ain't gonna hurt you," Grimm told him as he slid into his seat. Ulqui hissed at him, and he hissed back and took a bite out of a Twix bar he'd grabbed for himself. He pulled away and headed for the house.

Grimm spent the next few hours altering the clothing he'd bought, adding tail holes in the pants and underwear and ear holes in Pantera's cap. He'd have finished earlier, but got distracted when the kitten got to the catnip center of his catnip-pop. He rolled around, mewling loudly as he finished off the catnip and then frantically batted around his toy when it was gone. Grimm watched and laughed while Ulquiorra glared at him and tried to calm his intoxicated kitten down to no avail.

When he finished he redressed them both in their pyjamas and put them in their room to sleep. Ulqui slept in the closet next to the basket his son was in, and Grimm merely shook his head at the cute sight and threw the blankets over him. He shut the closet door, leaving it slightly ajar, and quickly tidied the metal collar and chain before heading to his own room and going to sleep as well.

x~x

Grimmjow flinched and slapped his alarm clock. Consciousness caught up to him and he groaned; his vacation was over, time for work. He yawned loudly and scratched his head as he rolled out of bed and made a beeline for the bathroom to wash up at the sink. He splashed warm water on his face and quickly brushed his teeth and applied deodorant.

"Gimm?"

He flinched and looked to the little neko standing in the doorway. He smiled. "Hey buddy, whatcha doin' up so early?"

Pantera cocked his head, not completely understanding what the older human had said, and walked past him to the toilet. Grimm watched as he pulled off his undies and climbed up on the porcelain pot and did his business. It was funny how he had to grasp the edge of the seat so he wouldn't fall in. He wiped, and got up to put on his underwear and Grimm flushed the toilet for him.

"Want me to tuck you back in?"

Pantera seemed to understand this time and shook his head. "No... Want..." He made a fist in front of his mouth and did a licking motion to the air above it.

Grimm shook his head. "No, Pantera, no treats in the morning." Pantera pouted and made puppy-eyes at him, but he remained firm with his original answer. "Hungry?" The kitten continued to pout, but nodded slowly. Grimm picked him up and headed to his room to get dressed and then went to the kitchen to make breakfast. He set him on a stool in front of the island, and got to work.

He threw some sausage meat in a pan and seasoned it while he sautéed some fish in another. The fish was done quick and he set it on a plate in the microwave while he cooked up some scrambled eggs and made spicy toast in the toaster oven. The sausage finished around the same time as the eggs and he turned the heat off of both. The threw two slices of toast on a plate and then scooped some eggs on and put the fish on top of the mount of eggs. He repeated that on a second plate and stowed it away in the microwave. Grimm made a sandwich out of his sausage patty, toast, and eggs, and turned to the kitten with a flourish.

"Here you go! _Un poisson et aux oeufs sandwich_! My French is horrible but I think I said 'a fish and egg sandwich,'" he chuckled. "Enjoy!"

Pantera's eyes were wide with hunger and seemed to drool as the plate was set before him and he bit into the fish sandwich. Grimm set out some orange juice and stood on the other side of the island where he dined on his own meal. He had to admit, fish and eggs didn't sound too appetizing to him, but Pan was really enjoying himself.

"Slow down, Pan. I'm not gonna take it from you."

"Grimmjow."

The sound of that even-toned voice made him look up to see a disheveled-headed Ulqui standing a few feet away. He greeted him and got out the meal he'd made for him. Ulquiorra slowly strolled to the second stool at the island and sat down to eat what was presented to him.

"So guys, I have to go to work in a little bit, but I'll be back later, m'kay?" As he'd expected, he got a collective head-cock from the nekos. "Let's try this again." He cleared his throat and pointed at himself. "Grimm..." he pointed towards the door, "...go... but..." he gestured at the table, " come back... later. Kay?"

They nodded as the information slowly sank in. He smiled and finished off breakfast. When they both finished he washed the dishes and went to pull on his shoes. "I'm going." He grunted when a weight collided with his shin. He looked down and gently pet Pantera's head. "Yeah?"

"Patera _rati_ Gimm-_pitr_!"

"_Rati_" Grimm didn't understand that word, but he stooped and gave the kitten a kiss on the forehead nonetheless. "Be a good boy now, Pan." He got back up and flinched at the dirty look Ulquiorra was shooting him. _Geez, what'd I do now?_

The drive to the restaurant he worked at went smoothly and soon he was pulling into the staff section of the _The Hunter's Palate_ parking lot. Don't let the name fool you, this was a 5-star restaurant that went from diner in the mornings to gourmet restaurant when the clock struck 8 pm. Grimmjow worked in the diner Monday through Wednesdays, had Thursdays and Fridays off, and then had restaurant shift on Saturdays and Sundays. They specialized in anything that thrived in the forests and lakes around town, hence the name. Grimmjow even got a bonus when he brought in something he'd caught, be it something with hooves or fins. Customers could even get half off if they brought in something.

As to be expected, prices fluctuated based on the availability of the ingredients, so there was a high-tech system in place to help with keeping customers on top of the daily prices. Touch screen menus had been installed in the tables which they just took out and hooked up into the charging/data station to change any info that needed to be changed. The owner usually took care of that.

He headed around back and entered through the door there and ended up straight in the locker room where he pulled off his jacket, rolled his sleeves to his elbows and donned his apron and white floppy chef hat. He headed into the kitchen where he was met by familiar faces.

"Yo blue!"

"Sup, Nnoi!"

Nnoitorra Gilga had been a close friend of Grimmjow's for ages. The lanky bastard worked as a waiter until a car accident took his eye, and he became a busboy during the mornings and bartender at night where his fancy leather eyepatch wouldn't unnerve the customers.

Grimm did their quick handshake with Nnoi and tripped over someone's foot on the way to the rotary. He saw that there were no orders up and looked under a table to find the foot's owner.

"Starrk? What are you doing here?"

Nnoitorra answered for the unconscious master dessert chef and front counter attendant. "I don't think he left. There were a lot of dessert orders last night for some reason. Poor guy must've came in here and passed out without anyone noticing. Man, it must suck to be narcoleptic..."

Grimmjow kicked at the man's foot until he woke up and peeked out from under the table. "I thought you were off on Mondays?"

The older man blinked slowly. "It's Monday? Hm, no reason to get up then."

"Go home old man!" Nnoi teased with a small chuckle.

"Nah, leave him alone, I'll drag him out when it's time for me to punch out." Grimm kicked his foot again in good humor and started on the newly arrived order on the rotary.

Starrk rolled from under the table and fixed his clothes. Good thing he wasn't in uniform anymore. The boss would have a cow if she saw him rolling around the floor in his whites. He stretched and stood across the kitchen as he looked over him blue-haired friend with his sleepy gray eyes. "You seem to be in good spirits, was your two-week vacation in the woods that good?"

Grimm turned on the heat at his station and got to work. "I didn't stay in the forest that long. Actually, I didn't even stay there for even a day; I found something before I got a chance."

Nnoi shook off his hands and started drying the dishes. "Oo, what you find? Treasure? You know you gotta share that with me right?"

"Nah nothing like that, but let's just say I don't have to go home to an empty house anymore."

"You found a hot girl with a similar interest in hiking and hunting?"

"No but that'd been cool too." Grimm turned to them while the deer steak sizzled in the pan behind him. "I found a couple of nekos."

"Whoa... you kill 'em?" Nnoi asked.

"What?! No! They're endangered, I'd never do that. I took them home, idiot."

"You have a couple of wild nekos in your house, and you call me the idiot?"

"Okay, they're not tame, but they trust me enough to not feel the need to try to kill me. Besides one of them's just a tot."

"Hm? How old?"

Grimm shook his head as he turned back 'round, and dumped the steak on a plate for someone else to ladle on the eggs and grits. "Don't know. I'm hoping the older one'll learn enough English to tell me all the little details like that."

"Is he cute?" Starrk piped up.

Grimmjow smiled. Starrk was predictable like that. The old man had a soft spot for cute things, especially little things like baby animals and figurines. "You have no idea. I got him a little yarn-ball with a bell in it and- hold up actually, I took a video." Grimm whipped out his smartphone and found the video for them. He handed over the phone while he went and got the newest order.

In seconds there were laughter and "Aww's" coming from the two men.

"What's wrong with him?" Nnoi laughed.

"I found some neko candy that had catnip in the center. I won't be giving that to him very often, but when I do that phone's gonna be in my hand!"

"That's it," Starrk murmured. "I'm going to your house after you're done."

"Me too, man."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Grimm muttered. "Look, it's a miracle that I got Ulquiorra to stop scratching me and I don't think bringing in a bunch of strangers is a good idea..."

"Ulquiorra one of their names?"

"Yeah, the older one. I call the boy Pantera."

Nnoi made a face. "Wasn't that the name of your old cat?"

"Yup."

"Well, anyway, I don't care. I think I'll survive a little cat scratch or two," Nnoitorra said.

"You sure?" Grimmjow rolled up his long sleeve shirt more and showed off his scar. "It was only last week that Ulquiorra did this." Nnoitorra cringed and hissed through his teeth at the ugly mark, but still wanted to go; as did Starrk. Grimmjow shrugged and fixed his sleeve. "Well, alright then."

The rest of the day went by without incident, and soon they were all heading towards Grimm's house. Starrk hitched a ride in Grimm's truck while Nnoitorra shoved on his racing helmet and took his bike. He'd already promised to take Starrk back to the restaurant to grab his car since he'd have to ride past there to get home anyway.

They pulled up and entered the house. Grimmjow was pulling off his shoes when he heard Pantera run in screaming "Gimm! Gimm! Gimm! Gimm! Gimm!" The little neko froze only a foot away from Grimm's guests. Nnoi raised a hand to say hi, but Pan screamed and ran back towards the bedrooms. "_Matr! Matr!_" Grimm rushed forward and snatched him off his feet before he got too far.

"Whoa there, Pan!" He held him high above his head and brought him down into a hug and a peck on the cheek. "It's okay. These guys won't hurt you!" He balanced him in the crook of his arm and turned to introduce him to the men. "These are my friends, Pantera."

Nnoi held out his index finger for the neko to take. "Hey there, little kitty."

Pantera stared at the finger nervously. Just as he reached to grab the finger with his small hand, he was snatched backwards out of Grimm's arms. Grimm whipped around and spotted Ulquiorra holding the kitten protectively against his bosom. He looked like he'd just woken up. He smiled him. "Neither of you bothered to get outta bed, huh?" He said, indicating Pan and Ulqui's bedtime attire. "Now before you freak out, and start hissing at me, these are my friends. They're not here to hurt you or your son." He gently grabbed him by the shoulders and urged him towards the couch. "Beer?"

Nnoitorra scoffed. "Hell yeah!" He went the farther edge on the couch and Starrk settled in the armchair.

Ulquiorra stared at them both warily while Grimm went and grabbed three beers and some bottled water from the fridge. He gave the bottle to Ulqui and passed two of the beers out to his friends before settling next to his nekos. Starrk already appeared to be asleep, but Nnoitorra was still trying to make nice with the cats to no avail. They popped open their beers.

"Wanna catch a game tonight?" Grimm asked as he urged Ulqui to take a small sip of beer.

"You providing beer and football on your big screen? Count me in. Starrk too since I'm the one driving him back to the restaurant."

Ulqui hadn't really liked the taste and shook his head when Grimm offered more beer. Pantera opened his mouth to try some for himself, but Grimm shook his head. "No beer for you." Pan pouted and opened his mouth again. Grimm said no again, but eventually shrugged and let him have a sip. He barked out a laugh at the face and sound the kitten made at the taste. He set down his beer and carried Pan off to get him some juice to wash out the taste.

He set the kitten by the coffee table with his juice and turned on the tv.

Pan sipped his juice as he cautiously walked towards Starrk who was still slumped in the seat. He stared at him for a moment, cocking his head a little to see past the man's hair which made a brown curtain in front of his face. He set down his sippy cup and climbed onto Starrk's lap.

"_Ksudra_!"

Pantera flinched at his mother's loud call and cowered as he turned to look at Ulqui. His mother shot him an angry string of Sanskrit, and he gently grasped Starrk's shirt front. Ulquiorra shot up and snatched Pantera from the human's lap. Pantera squirmed and cried pitiful mewls as he was carried back to their bedroom.

"Aw, that sucks. I thought I was getting her to like me..." Nnoi muttered.

"Yeah, _he's _just a little overprotective. Enjoy yourself there, Starrk?"

Starrk lifted his head and slicked his hair back. "Yeah. Too bad though, I wanted to pet him. His ears as soft as they look?"

"Softer."

"Wait, that was a he?" Nnoi interjected. "I thought for sure that was like his mom or something."

"He is." He chuckled at the face Nnoitorra made. "Ulqui's a herm, probably birthed Pantera even. The only reason I know that that's his mom is because Pan calls him mom in Sanskrit, but I use male pronouns, because... well, why the Hell not? I'm keeping options open until I know what he identifies as."

"You know who the possible father is?" Starrk asked.

"Nah, no sign of any other nekos where I found them. I figure he died or maybe there was some sort of... 'neko divorce', I don't know. That's why I really can't wait for Ulqui to learn English."

"Well if you find out anything, tell us," Starrk said. "I'm very curious!" Grimm promised and the older man nodded off leaving just him and Nnoi to watch the college football game they'd found. An hour later of yelling at the tv, Pantera's ball suddenly rolled into the room. Grimm chuckled and pointed at the glowing eyes peeking from the darkness of the back hallway. He beckoned to the kitten and he happily pranced in on all fours.

Pantera drank the rest of his juice before climbing into Grimm's lap. He took a moment to clean his face, and then started licking Grimm's.

"I didn't think nekos would actually clean themselves like that."

"They have a lot of cat-like tendencies, but in this case they clean their faces with their tongues and actually take baths for everything else." Pantera finished cleaning Grimm and just started kissing his cheeks. "I love you too, kiddo." They both hugged and Pan sat in his lap to watch the rest of the game with the big boys.

"Can I get a hug too, kitty?"

Pan's ears flattened at Nnoi's words and he looked him over warily. He resisted when Grimm urged him towards the man until he was sitting between Grimm and Nnoi. Nnoi carefully pet his head, and Pan let him but the kitten stayed close to Grimm out of unfamiliarity towards the persistent human.

"He'll warm up to you eventually, but probably not today."

Nnoitorra nodded and let out a yawn. "I'm gonna head out." He gave Pantera a few more pats on the head, and slapped Starrk's thigh as he rose from the couch. "Clear your head and finish your beer, man. We're going."

Starrk nodded and sucked back the last of his beer before going to get his shoes. "You okay with leaving them here every day?"

"Not really but there's not exactly a neko daycare to put them in."

Nnoi grew a huge smile. "Dude, you should totally get permission to bring them to the restaurant! They could be like... the new mascots or something."

"What?"

"Yeah, well nekos are like natural hunters, so it'd fit."

"Not that, I mean bringing them to work. I don't know how well that'd go."

"Well, they have to get used to being around other humans sometime" Nnoi said, making Grimm nod thoughtfully.

"I think it would be cool," Starrk mumbled. "Give it a shot. The worse thing the boss can do is say 'no.'"

Grimm sighed and looked at his phone for the time. 10:30. "Eh, I'll give her a call." His friends smiled and nodded and he ushered them out and watched them ride off. He locked the door and made the call.

x~x

"Thanks for giving them a chance, Ms. Inoue."

The pregnant oranget smiled warmly. "It's quite alright, and please it's Kurosaki now, Grimm."

Grimm shook his head. "I don't care how long you've been married. You're still little Inoue from high school to me." He pet her belly. "Though maybe not so little anymore. How far are you again?"

She laughed. "Should be popping any day now actually. I should get home though, before Ichigo finds out I left the house." Grimm helped her to the door and she headed to her car out front. "Have a good day! And make sure they don't hurt anyone!"

"I will!" The bell dinged as he door shut and he turned back to the nekos who were seated in the booth nearest the kitchen. They were dressed in their altered clothing, Ulquiorra in a sweater and jeans and Pantera in a shirt, jeans and his knit cap. On the table in front of them was a sign that read:

**_Don't get too close, we get scared if you crowd us._**  
**_You have been warned ^_^_**

He pet both of them before washing his hands and heading to the kitchen. It was slow for the first few hours, but eventually it picked up and people began to notice the inhuman guests.

"Is it really okay to have them here?" He eventually overheard a woman he knew say at the counter. He listened closely.

"Sure it is," Starrk murmured as he served up coffee to the woman and a few others. "They're pretty nice they just don't do well with strangers... hence the sign."

"But they're... like wild right? Fresh out the forest?"

Starrk fought back an onslaught of fatigue and shook his head as he wobbled on his feet. "Oh no no no. They actually belong to one of the chefs here."

Grimm took this chance to peek his head through the service window. "Hey Starrk, write this down on an order ticket. Deer steak combo, with double grits and eggs as sides and two glasses of orange juice and milk."

"What's this for?"

Grimm pointed. "Them of course. It's been a good four hours since they last ate and I know that at least Pantera's getting peckish." He began to duck his head back through the window, but peeked back out. "Oh make sure it stays on the rotary so I remember to pay when I can get to my wallet later, kay?"

"Can do," Starrk murmured as he wrote a little note on the ticket and attached it to the rotary.

"He's the owner?"

"Grimm? Yeah."

"Oh in that case, I'm not all that worried. Grimm's a good guy. Got a good head on those shoulders. Those nekos are in good hands." The woman laughed and dove into her meal as it was placed before her.

Grimm was the one who brought out the hot plates of food for his nekos. He'd cut a third of the steak off and put it on a separate plate with the extra helpings of sides for Pantera, and the rest of the steak was for Ulquiorra, who looked suspiciously at the meal. Pantera's tail waved as he reached over for one of the glasses of milk. He sat in a child seat, but it barely helped, what with the kitten's minute stature. Grimm snatched up the ball as it fell, and placed it on the table where Pan could reach it later. "You two enjoy. Keep being good, and maybe I'll pay for some rice pudding or slices of apple pie."

Pantera's ears wiggled and he meowed as he dined on the meat pieces his mother cut up for him. "Gimm!"

Grimmjow wiggled his fingers at him as a goodbye and headed back to the kitchen. Later, a pair of little ears peeked in. "Need something, Pan?" He laughed when the kitten stepped in and did a little wiggle. He knew what that meant. "Cover me for a sec," he said as he pulled off his hat and apron. "Little one here needs a potty break."

Grimm put the neko on his hip and headed towards the bathrooms on the other side. He helped him out in one of the two stalls, petting his head, and holding his hand so he wouldn't fall in. He flushed, and helped him at the sink, balancing him on his thigh while he washed both their hands. Pantera had more fun playing with the paper towel then drying his hands with it. He carried him back to the booth and set him on the empty seat where he'd have more room to play with his toy, gathered the empty plates and headed back to the kitchen.

"You wash your hands?" Nnoi asked.

"Yes, feel them, they're still a little wet."

"Nah, I'll pass."

7 o'clock came, and so did the "changing of the plates" as most of the employees called it. Since Grimm wasn't off until eight he had to help out. Cleaning tables and throwing on the white tablecloths, taking away the mustard and ketchup bottles and replacing them with pretty center-pieces and short candles in little, circular, glass holders. The menus' theme changed from a comfortable yellowed parchment with brown letters to crisp white with curly black lettering with a quick change of file. The diner dishes were dried and put away and replaced by fancy square dishes.

8 came and he could finally leave. He grabbed his nekos, paid for the earlier meal, and headed home.

"Was it fun, Pantera? Fun?" Grimmjow asked on the way home.

The boy giggled and shook his toy. "Yah, yah!"

"You wanna go to work with Grimm again tomorrow?"

"Yah! Yah, Gimm-_pitr_, yah!"

Grimm chuckled. "You too, Ulquiorra?"

Ulqui looked at him out of the corner of his eye. He grunted and looked back out the window.

"Fine, then I can just leave you at home and take Pan by himself. How 'bout that?" That smart remark earned him a hiss. "Okay then. Let's stop at the bookstore while we're out."

The stop at the local bookstore was quick. He'd just picked up a few "Learning English for Kids" books and left 20 bucks lighter. "I'll get you two started on these tonight, and then its time for bed."

x~x

"I wan... ap-ap-"

"Apple," Ulquiorra offered.

"-apple juuz... apple juuz."

"Good job," Grimmjow murmured. He was on counter duty that day so he was able to keep the nekos there while they learned from the interactive book. "No apple juice, but you can have some water. Okay, Pantera? Water."

The kitten pouted and took the glass offered to him. "Wotur..." He sipped it down, careful not to spill any.

"They are just precious! How do you have them so trained?" It was the same portly woman from the previous day who asked this.

Grimm shrugged and wiped down the counter where previous diners had left a small spill. "They're not really trained yet. Pantera's just sweet and Ulquiorra's fine so long as no one gets too close to his son. He's real protective."

"Well, shouldn't every parent be?" the woman laughed. "Where's the mom?"

"He _is_ the mom."

"He? But-" She made a "o" of realization. "He's the type that has both parts huh? A whatchacallit? Hemo...?"

"Hermaphrodite."

"Yeah, that." She rested her cheek on her fist. "You're just a sweet thing, huh?" She flinched when Ulqui glared and bared his teeth. "Oo, I don't think he likes me."

Grimm chuckled "He doesn't even like me! Pan loves me though." He snapped drawing the kitten's attention, and gestured at the stool next to the woman. "Come meet Miss Susie, Pantera." The kitten gave his mother a nervous look and slipped off his stool, and climbed into the one Grimm indicated.

Susie smiled and gently held out her hand. "Hey there. I'm your Aunt Susie, nice to meet you Pantera-baby." She tittered when he sniffed her hand and placed it on his head wanting to be pet. "Aren't you precious! How old is he?"

Grimm shrugged. "Somewhere between two and four probably..."

"One," Ulquiorra grumbled. "_Ksudra_ is one."

Grimm's eyebrows touched his hairline; he hadn't expected that. "He's only one year old, you say?"

"'Ess." The neko reached over and dragged Pantera back to his side by the little boy's scruff. "Don't touch."

"Ah, don't be like that, Ulqui."

Susie waved. "Don't worry about it Grimm. He's just looking out for his baby." Someone called her name, and she turned and waved at a couple of women who'd walked in. "I'm going to move to a table now. See yah." Grimm got a small smooch on the cheek and Susie waddled away.

Grimm glanced at Ulqui as he poured coffee for someone. "You know how old you are, Ulquiorra?"

"Don't know. Nine and ten..."

"19? Wow, you're a lot younger than I thought. I thought you were around my age; twenty-six." He cocked his head. "How long have you been able to understand me?"

"A while. English... simple words."

"Wow... well, when we get home I wanna ask you some questions, okay?"

"'Ess..." His head whipped around sharply when Pantera's ball hit the floor and the tiny predator went after it. Pantera batted it around, knocking it away and then pouncing on it. "_Ksudra_, sit in chair." The kitten dragged his feet back to the stool and Ulquiorra helped him into it.

"Alright, well I've gotta get back to it, but since I know you can understand me, I'll tell you this once: Don't hurt anyone. They're here to eat, not to mess with your cub-"

"Kit..."

Grimm paused. "Okay... 'kit'... or you, so chill out."

He grunted and went back to helping Pantera with his English.

b~~~d

He didn't like it. He didn't like being here around so many humans, but it was better than being cooped up, alone in that house. Smelled better too.

"_Matr_, dis one..."

He looked at the word his runt pointed at and put an ear bud in his ear to hear it being pronounced by the woman in the box. "_Grha*..._ home, _Ksudra_."

"_Matr_ n Paterra live in Gimm home?"

Ulquiorra nodded.

"_Matr_ like live in Gimm home?"

Ulqui made a face as he thought it over. "No, not really."

"_Kena*_?"

Ulqui shrugged. He had no reason to not like living with the human. He kept them safe and fed and warm. Like a good mate would. Then again, maybe that was it. Maybe thinking that Grimmjow would be a good mate made Ulquiorra nervous. After all, it didn't go too well with his first mate. The thought of him made his skin crawl and his stomach hurt.

"Patera like live in Gimm home," the kit murmured with a pout. "Patera _rati_ Gimm. Gimm _pitr_."

Ulquiorra hissed at him lowly, "Grimm is not your _pitr_."

Pantera's eyes got big. "B-but..."

"Hey, you!" Ulquiorra looked up to the topic of the discussion. "I realize as a parent you have to scold your kid sometimes, but don't growl at him and make him cry in public; it's in bad taste. Now whatever you need to discipline him about can probably wait until later."

Ulquiorra growled low in his throat.

"Gimm? Patera _rati_ Gimm... Gimm _rati_ Patera n _matr_?"

Grimm leaned on the counter. "I'm sorry bud, I still don't know what _rati_ means."

His ears flattened to his head and he looked down and sniffled.

"Hey, hey, hey. Don't cry." He grasped the sides of his face and kissed his cheek. "Look, I'll see what that word means, and get back to you okay?" Pantera nodded slowly and wiped his face. Grimm pet his head and went back to serving the other hungry humans. "Play nice, now."

Ulquiorra watched him shuffle away. Why did he see him as a mate, he wondered?

x~x

Pantera was fast asleep when it was time for them to head home, and Grimm allowed Ulquiorra to hold him in his lap during the drive home. The movement was lulling despite the jarring bumps they hit every so often, and Ulqui found himself dozing as he watched the scenery go by in a blur. They stopped at a particularly long light and Grimm sat back with a sigh. He looked over to the neko. "So where's Pan's father?"

Ulqui felt a shiver go up his spine. He'd known that the human would ask him that, but even so he wasn't ready. He didn't want to think about that horrible alpha. Not now, not ever. He feigned sleep to avoid the question, at least for now.

The human leaned forward so that he could see Ulqui's face. "You're not asleep..." Ulqui kept up his act and Grimmjow just sighed. "This would be over faster if you just told me. I'll only keep bugging you about it until you finally give up and tell me. So how about it?"

The neko lifted his head and looked at him.

"If it's painful or anything to talk about, then I'd never bring it up again after this." He smiled and scratched his furry ears. "I just want to know more about you and Pantera."

The neko looked away for a while, but let the human scratch his ears as he mulled over the proposition. It **was **probably best that he get it off his chest now... after all the hunter seemed like he wanted to keep him and his kit with him for longer than he'd originally anticipated. He looked to Grimm, his eyes sad, and his lip quivering. "I hate that alpha..." Grimm only gave him a concerned look, but was silent as he continued to make the box move. "Made me bear his kits and tried to kill _Ksudra_."

"Kill him?! But why?"

"Too small... he hurt me when I protected him, and then I ran away. We lived happily for a year and then you got us."

Grimm pulled up in front of the house and sat back as he looked at the neko. "How many other kits did you have?"

"Three..."

"Do you miss them?"

He paused as he thought about it, but then shook his head. No. Those were the alpha's kits, the only one Ulqui claimed as his own was asleep in his lap._  
_

"Do... Do you feel safe here? With me?" Ulquiorra nodded, and the human smiled at him. "That's good." They both got out and headed into the house and Grimm surprised Ulquiorra with a kiss to his forehead. "Thank you for telling me..."

The neko humphed, and went to his room. He quickly changed himself and his kit into their night clothes and was about to crawl into the closet when Grimm appeared in the doorway.

"Going to bed already? But it's not even 10 yet..." Ulquiorra shrugged. "Well, why don't you just keep me company? C'mon and climb in my bed." He took the neko's hand and tugged him into his room. Flipping up the blankets, he urged them under and tucked them in before he changed as well.

Ulquiorra rested on his side with Pan against his chest and the blankets up to his nose as he watched the bluenet change. He studied the creases that formed in his back as he peeled off his clothes and reached up to shake out his hair. He stood with his bare back to the neko for a while before finally stooping to pull on his pants. With a stretch and a groan he laid back on the bed and rubbed his eyes before looking over at Ulquiorra. He smiled and moved a bit closer to the neko.

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed in suspicion and he sunk back into the blankets, but Grimm only laughed and wrapped his arms around his neck and gve him a peck on the forehead. He rolled away and grabbed a book from his bedside table and flipped it open leaving the neko a bit confused. Ulquiorra brushed the confusion off and got comfy once again. He studied his human captor and caretaker until sleep finally took him.

**_Dictionary (Sanskrit):_**

_Grha _: Home

_Kena_ : Why

_Ksudra: _Tiny(I couldn't find a word that actually meant "Runt" so I went with the next best thing.)

_Matr: _Mom/Mother

_*Ne _: (Japanese) A "tag question" put in sentences to either draw attention or ask for reflection (In this case, I used both forms "Hey, mom? Grimm's my dad, right, isn't he?"

_Pitr _: Dad/Father

_Rati_: Love


	4. III: New

Yay! I'm already on the third chapter! Now, I don't usually do this, but I just want to give a quick shout-out to everyone who reviewed, because it made me smile to receive so many reviews on such a new story ^_^! So, thank you to: Tsarina Torment, FuuYuki34, kittykuriosity, and z! *throws cookies* And to kitty, since I am unable to message you directly I have posted my message to you at the very end of this chapter!

Anyway, I'm done rambling, please enjoy the story! *bows and runs away*

* * *

Snow seemed to fall over night, quickly turning everything outside a crisp white. Grimmjow had gotten both nekos boots and coats since he still took them to work, but soon after Pantera's _matr _got sick and had to stay home. Pantera watched worriedly as the human carried his _matr _to the bedroom and tucked him in. He teased the older neko but the neko could only retaliate with weak hisses. It was a stronger hiss when Grimm said that he'd take Pantera to work with him, but was scoffed at. Grimm told the sick neko that he'd made soup for him to eat, and that it was on the stove when he wanted it before he turned and put the baby neko onto his hip.

"Say 'See you later, _matr_' Pantera," Grimm told him.

Pan pouted and waved sadly as he said the words and Grimm turned to leave. Grimm secured him in his car seat and drove away and Pan sat quietly as he ran his fingers over the yarn of his ball for the first half of the trip. He was worried about his _matr_. He'd never seen him sick before, or at least nothing worse than a little headache. He wondered if his birth giver and guardian would make it through this alright.

"Hey, Pan?"

Pan's ears lifted slightly and he looked at the back of the bluenet's head.

"Grimm _rati _Pantera."

The boy's ears stood at full attention and a huge smile broke out across his face. He let out a squeal and flailed his arms happily as Grimm laughed at his excitement. Grimm loved him back! He was so happy. Pan's ball jingled merrily as he shook it all the way to the diner.

When the neko hopped out of the backseat, he sank into the snow quickly and had a hard time walking so Grimmjow had to carry him into the diner. He was released from his bulky coat and sat in seat at the counter while Grimm went to the back to change and put away the garment. He opened his book and started on his daily English lessons. The young cat-boy was learning quickly, he was already able to speak in partial sentences, and could read small words, though usually those with five or fewer letters. His father-figure liked to reward him with treats when he learned a new set of words. The week prior, Grimm had taken him to a café where he got sweetened warm milk with pumpkin spice and cinnamon!

The little boy drooled as he remembered his delicious treat. A small plate of food was set before him and he was about to dig in when Grimmjow settled next to him with food of his own. He looked to the man with his ears flattened and a confused look on his face. Don't get him wrong, he liked eating with his Grimm-_pitr_ but they never ate together at the diner; he was always too busy.

The hunter smiled at him and pet his head as he shoved a forkful of eggs in his mouth. He sipped the bitter black stuff he always drank and spoke. "Because of the weather we open later, and since I have almost an hour of free time, I figured that I'd eat breakfast with you."

Pan's ears lifted in understanding and he ate his breakfast.

There was still time after they finished eating so Grimm set Pan in his lap and helped him with his lesson. Pan stumbled over the new advanced paragraph his _pitr prayah*_ assigned him. He coaxed him on yet urged to him take his time as he struggled but was eventually able to read the short funny text. He received another pet and a kiss on his forehead.

"Pan, you want another toy?"

Another toy? But his ball was still in perfect condition, and he was always very careful not to mess it up, why would he need a new one? "_Kena_?"

Grimmjow paused. Pan knew he was just thinking because he knew Grimm had a hard time with Pan's language, same as he had a hard time with Grimm's. "Why? Well so you have more than one. How about it?"

Pantera nodded; two toys at the same time seemed like fun.

Grimm smiled and gathered their dishes. He headed to the back where he no doubt cleaned them and got ready for the day. Pan went back to reading, but an hour later he grew bored of it. The sleepy man wasn't there to keep him company and the diner was half empty. He gently shook his ball. With a mischievous smile, he let it drop from his lap and chased after it. His _matr_ wasn't there to stop him so he managed to bat it all the way over towards where other humans were eating without realizing. They chuckled at him and pointed as he pounced on it and rolled around.

"You know Grimm'll be mad if he sees you doing that..."

Pan flinched and looked up to see the one-eyed man holding a small gray tub and looming over him with an unamused look. The kit made a frightened squeak and scampered back to his seat. He avoided the tall human's gaze as he passed behind him lugging the tub of dishes to the kitchen to be cleaned. He sighed when he was out of sight. The human was Grimm's friend, but even so he couldn't warm up to him like he had with the sleepy man; he wasn't sure why. With a pout he went back to reading.

Grimm called to him and he addressed him with a quiet meow. "There's a shipment coming in and I have to help bring in a few boxes. I won't be long okay? Be good."

Pan bobbed his head in an affirmative and found his place in the paragraph he'd been reading.

Not long had passed when a heavy hand suddenly came down on his head and started petting him a bit roughly. He managed to turn and saw the owner of the heavy hand. He had a bald head and scary looking eyes though he smiled semi-warmly. Even so, he was a complete stranger. "I'd been wanting to do this for some time now, but you always had that scary adult neko with you all the other times I've been here." he said. "Finally, I get to pet you!" His petting let up and he grabbed Pan's shoulder as he starting scratching his flattened ears.

Scared stiff, and not knowing what else to do, the little neko opened his mouth and let out a mournful wail. "Miaaah..._hic!_ Miaaow! _hic! hic!_ Gimm-_pitrr_!"

"I don't think he likes you touching him," another voice behind the kit said.

Grimm peeked through the window, having just returned from the small errand, coming to the kitten's rescue. "Hey. Could you not? You're freaking him out!"

The hands relented and the kit was let free to abandon his seat and run to the kitchen to cling to Grimm's leg.

"I didn't mean any harm, man," he heard the bald guy say.

"Yeah well he doesn't know that," Grimm said evenly. He looked to Pantera. "Go get your things and go sit in the booth, Pan."

Pantera gave him a horrified look. But his stuff was out there... with **them**! He didn't want to go out there with them again, but Grimm gave him an expectant look, and with a sad moan he dragged his feet as he left the kitchen. To his relief the two humans stepped away as he approached, allowing him to snatch up his ball and books, and retreat to the booth he and his _matr_ usually sat at. The kitten watched the two humans warily as they inhabited the counter where he'd been sitting and the person manning the counter for the day returned from wherever they'd been - probably the bathroom - to serve them. The bald one cast glances at Pan while they ate, thoroughly making him feel uncomfortable, and eventually he hid under the table. He really wished his _matr_ was there with him...

Pan spent the remainder of the evening under the table, even after the two humans had left, worrying his father-figure when the chef had come out to check on him, and couldn't find him. He watched the staff flit about as they changed the restaurant around before Grimm bundled him up, said his goodbyes, and headed to the truck to head home. The snow crunched under the vehicle as they pulled away and drove off.

They rode in silence before Grimm turned to check on him. "You awake back there, buddy?"

"Yah."

"Good. You still want to go get that toy?"

"Yah!"

Grimm smiled. "So did you like being there by yourself? Do you think you'd want to go again?"

Pan shook his head slowly. "No..." He pouted. "Sorry.."

"It's okay, you don't need to apologize, Pan. All that matters is that you tried it. Granted, that one guy got a little too familiar and made you uncomfortable, but maybe we can try again when you're older or something?" Pan made an uncertain sound and the matter was dropped for the moment.

The lights from the large store made Pantera squint as they parked in front of it. Grimm carried him into the storefront and set him down at the doors so that he could walk on his own as he took his had and led him inside where it was a bit warmer. Pan looked around taking in the sights for they were quite different from the last time.

The first time he'd ever been there the collection of stores had been quite plain, with nothing notable about them other than the things they sold, and then when they'd come to get boots and coats there had been decorations of black and orange hanging about and the people who worked there had funny hats or necklaces on. Now the decorations were red and green and the workers wore fake pointy ears or hats with antlers or white bands of fluffy fur, and also... had they grown a _**tree** _inside?!

Pan slipped his hand from Grimm's larger one and he tottered over to it. The tree was very big and decorated with colored lights, and orbs of silver and blue with a big winged doll on top, way way out of reach of anyone, not just himself. He sniffed the air but smelled nothing which confused him, afterall even trees that'd been chopped down had a scent. He got on his knees and tried to crawl underneath but he felt hands grip his hips and pull him away.

"Don't go running off like that, Pan, you scared me!" He held him close and started walking again.

Pan apologized and gave the adult a hug before he asked his questions. "Tree has no smell, _kena? _And colors different again, _kena_?"

"Well that's not a real tree, so it doesn't smell like a real tree would, and the colors are different because there's another holiday coming up."

"...H-Holiday...? What is..?"

"A holiday? Well it's like a day to be festive, I guess would be the simplest explanation for it." Grimm's eyebrows knitted together. "Did you and your _matr _ever do anything festive on a particular day?"

Pan shook his head.

"Hmm..." He sucked his teeth. "Well, for me the next holiday coming up is Thanksgiving, but malls like this one always start hanging up Christmas decorations only a few days after Halloween; I find it annoying really." He sighed at the confused look Pan gave him and described each holiday to him, simply and briefly. It didn't take long for the neko to catch on.

"Halloween is black and orange and people dress up for treats?"

"Yeah. Remember when I brought a bunch of candy home? That was the day of Halloween. I wanted to take you out, but I didn't get the day off from work, and on top of that it was rainy."

Pan nodded, and was reminded of something; he should have a few pieces of candy left over from that day! He'd have to go find them when they got home. "Thanksgiving is for feast and togetherness? And Christmas is for family and presents?"

"Yeah, you got it."

"Today Christmas?"

"No, Pan. It hasn't been Thanksgiving yet."

"Then why I get new toy?"

Grimm pinched his little nose between his knuckles. "Because you've been a good boy, and you deserve it."

Pantera giggled as his set him down in front of a story full of toys. "Now go pick out a toy, but nothing too big okay?"

Pantera bobbed his head and rushed off with Grimm not too far behind. There were many other kits around, though all of them were human; it kinda made him nervous. They paid no attention to him, instead they emitted constant "Oo's" and "Ah's" over the toys they pulled off of the shelves. A lot of the toys made loud noises that hurt his ears when the kids pressed a button or two, so he stayed away from those. There also a section with books and pictures that were broken into many strange shaped pieces, and another with blocks that had weird bumps that made them stick together. He kinda wanted those but something else caught his eye.

It was a doll. The body was soft when he held it but the head and limbs were hard and painted to be a fair skin tone. It had long black hair and brown eyes and wore a pretty, long-sleeved dress of the deepest red with white stockings, black boots and an equally red hat. He stared at it with a deep fascination and longing for it.

"You want that?"

Pan nodded without taking his eyes off of it. Grimm made him put the doll he was holding back on its stand and grabbed one that was in a box. They took it to the counter and the cashier gave them an odd look.

"You know this is a girl's toy, right?"

"Oh, really? Where does it say that on the box?" Grimm snipped.

Pantera looked up at him. Looks like the man had annoyed him; he seemed to really hate when strangers questioned him or said anything about Pan or his _matr_.

"I'm just saying man, dolls are for little girls. Shouldn't you get him a toy car or something?"

"Just ring up the toy, I'll decide what he should and should not play with..."

The cashier huffed, and quickly rung it up. Grimm paid and they left. Pan stared at the doll all the way home; he couldn't wait to play with it.

b~~~d

The doll of course suffered from annoying packaging syndrome, having an impossible amount of plastics, twisty ties, and clamps just to secure it to the bit of cardboard. He eventually freed it as well as the stand and the little brush that came with it, and made Pan a very happy kitty.

"Be careful, part of the doll is made of porcelain, so it'll break if you're rough with it."

His weird colored eyes grew wide and he cradled it carefully as he walked towards the back rooms. Grimmjow cleaned up the mess before following suit.

Ulquiorra had wrapped himself up with the blanket on the floor and an empty bowl nearby. Pan was sitting near him showing off the new doll. He ran his pale fingers through Pan's short hair while his kit brushed the doll's hair with the plastic brush.

Grimm asked if he was feeling better and received a nod. He asked if the neko wanted more soup and received a head shake. Pantera was hungry though, but then again Grimm had realized that he was always hungry. He wasn't sure if it was because he was a young neko or because he was a runt that he ate so much. Then again, it could just be him being energetic and burning off every calorie he ate. He left to fix a couple bowls for him and himself and returned to see that Ulquiorra had moved to rest on the bed on his side with Pantera leaning against him as he snuggled the doll. He fed the kit before enjoying his own dinner and changing them both into their pyjamas. When he attempted to get the mama-cat to change he was hissed at so he didn't really bother fighting him. He took a few minutes to wash all the bowls and put away the rest of the soup before heading back to the bed room.

He grabbed an extra blanket from the closet so that Ulquiorra could keep the other one and turned off the light. He kissed them both on the foreheads and turned over to succumb to his dreams.

b~~~d

Ulquiorra woke up suddenly in the middle of the night. He felt weird, but it was a familiar oddness, and a scent mingled in the air with it. His eyes shot open. _No..._ He flipped off his blankets, burying his kit more than he already had been, and the scent seemed to bloom as his body was released from the plush comforter. It seemed to originate from his loins. _No, no, no..! _He got up from bed and quickly rushed to the bathroom and flipped on the light. He felt as if he couldn't get his clothes off fast enough and strained the seams in his haste.

He dropped his pants and froze as he stared down at the garment; a copious amount of blood had soaked into the crotch area as well as some staining his inner thighs. His breath caught and then when he forced himself to breath it felt as if the air was too thin. The neko hadn't been fertile since he'd had his first and only litter, and was sure that it was over! Had his body changed during the pregnancy making the time between his fertile periods longer? His mind reeled with questions. Would Grimmjow be able to tell? Would the human attempt to mate him? He didn't think his mind could take going through another forced pregnancy...

Ulquiorra stumbled away from the wall he'd collapsed against and turned the shower to scalding and hopped in. He held back a whimper as the water burned him and scrubbed at himself with a washcloth. _Perhaps I can wash away the scent?_ he thought as he scrubbed himself desperately. The smell defied the scrubbing and continued to cling to his skin, announcing to all that he was ready to breed. Tears fell and he covered his face with his hands as he slumped against the tiles.

Maybe... maybe Grimm would be gentle with him... maybe he wouldn't be afraid and angry like the first time. _No, no!_ Pantera was enough, he didn't want more kits. Perhaps the hunter would be infertile... sterile even. He couldn't imagine having kits with Grimm.

Then again maybe he could...

"No..." he whimpered out loud. His body seemed to tingle at the thought. Kits with Grimm. Kits with Grimm. The words repeated teasingly and he tried to shake them away. They continued to whisper in his mind. Oh goodness, did he really want kits with that human?! That traitorous core of his grew dewy and his usually flaccid length stiffened.

He lurched forward and turned the spray from steaming to freezing. The sudden change of temperature was like a shock to his system, and his lust came to a screeching halt. His cock fell and his vagina calmed. With a sob he crouched in the corner of the bath, not caring about the small amount of blood that trailed from him to drain.

_I've never experienced such conflicting thoughts... _He gasped and looked up as the bathroom door opened.

"Ulqui? Everything okay?"

Why? Why did he have to come now? He wanted to tell the hunter off, but he couldn't form words, he could only stare wide-eyed at the silhouette on the other side of the curtain.

"Are-Are you taking a cold shower?!" A hand reached in and turned the shower completely off and the shower curtain was torn open. "What's wrong with you? Are you trying to make yourself sicker?" His displeased look turned to concern as he looked the crotching neko over. "You're bleeding... Are you on?"

A consoling hand reached towards him and with a small whimper Ulqui moved away, pressing himself more into the tiles. He didn't want Grimm touching him.

"What's wrong? I'm not gonna hurt you." He tried to touch Ulquiorra again, but he continued to flinch away from him and give him fearful gazes. He eventually stopped trying to touch him and went to turn the faucets on. Warm water filled the tub and he handed him a new cloth. "You just soak okay? I'm gonna run out and get something for you." Grimm turned and left the bathroom, and after a while Ulquiorra heard the front door open and close and then the truck hummed to life and drove away.

Where could he possibly be going at such a late time? He pushed the question away and just relaxed in the bath with his cheek resting on the cool edge of the tub. He felt much calmer now.

Creaking was heard as the door opened again and Pantera walked in rubbing his eye and clutching his pretty doll to his chest. He set it on the lid of the toilet and kneeled by the tub with his head cradled in his arms on the edge near his mother. Ulquiorra leaned forward and gave him a peck on the forehead.

_"Where did Gimm-poppy go mommy?" _he asked. Pantera usually spoke in their native language when it was just them alone together, but liked to try to speak English whenever Grimmjow was nearby. _"Are you okay, mommy?"_

A sigh slipped from his lips and he blinked lazily. _"I'm fine, and I don't know where Grimm went. He should be back soon though." As much as I'd prefer he stay away, _he added in his mind. He delighted in the little pecks his kit pressed unto his face and returned the gesture in full, he really needed the distraction.

Pantera stopped and sniffed him. _"You smell weird mommy, why?"_

Distraction terminated, just like that. He groaned, unwilling to think about it, but knew it would be better to indulge his curious son rather than to save it for later. _"I'm... fertile."_

_"Fertile? Like you can have more kits?"_

How was he so bright? He was so young but he figured things out as fast as an adult sometimes. _"Yes."_

_"Do you want more kits?"_

_"No."_

_"Good."_

Dark eyebrows came together. _"Why is that good, runt?"_

_"I don't think Gimm-poppy would like another poppy in the house..."_

Ulquiorra shook his head. _"I think I'd rather make kits with Grimm than go out and find a random alpha to breed with, runt..."_

There was that naive innocence again, taking form of an enlightened face that said "I hadn't thought of that!" Pan was still just a kid after all. _"If you wants kits would you really have them with Gimm-poppy?"_ he asked excitedly.

_"I don't know. Why does it matter anyway?"_

_"I want little brothers and sisters that look like Gimm-poppy so that I could finally see what he'd look like if he was like us! Oh! And then he'd give them nice names too!"_

Ulquiorra shook his head an amusement as the kit babbled on, saying what he'd teach his little siblings, and how good of a big brother he'd be to them. He interrupted him after a while. _"Little kittens should be asleep at night."_

Pantera pouted at him. _"I want to stay up now, I'm not sleepy anymore!"_

_"Do you want to stay small forever?"_

_"N...No..."_

_"Then go back to bed. Don't forget your toy." _The disgruntled kit humphed and grabbed his doll before leaving. He heard the front door open and felt his fear bubble back up knowing the resident human had returned.

"Hey, you. What are doing up?" the human questioned from the front of the small house.

He heard Pantera giggle and run off to bed

A bag rustled and steps came towards the bathroom, but passed by and headed towards the bedroom. The thought that Grimm had forgotten him briefly went through his mind. He groaned as the footsteps came towards the bathroom again and the human entered. Ulqui watched him warily as he went to the cabinet and put a colorful package in it, but not before taking something out of it and setting it aside with a pair of fresh underwear. Grimmjow unplugged the tub much to Ulqui's displeasure and held out a towel.

"C'mon out of there, Ulqui."

With a shaky hand he grabbed it and climbed out of the tub while still trying to stay far from Grimm. He held the towel to his chest even after he'd finished drying off. The human suddenly took a step forward and he tried to step back but his leg caught on the side of the tub. He would've fallen if Grimm hadn't grabbed him, but the contact was less than appreciated to the frazzled, menstruating neko. He tried to yank away.

"Stop, stop. Calm down or you'll hurt yourself!" He swung him over towards the sink. "Just put your underwear on."

Ulquiorra did so but he was told not to pull them all the way up. Grimm came up behind him and pressed something into the underwear.

"It's a pad. It'll keep your underwear from getting dirty, just make sure you change it every so often; there are a bunch of them in the cabinet for you." He gave him a small smile and turned to leave. "Goodnight."

Ulqui watched him pick up his soiled clothes and exit. It was silent as he stood there before he finally pulled the underwear all the way up. The pad felt odd the way it pressed against him, but he definitely felt cleaner, and was glad that he wouldn't have to clean his clothes constantly like he'd had to when he first started going through his fertile periods. It was a very tedious thing. He finally realized that Grimm had not brought him fresh clothes, and flipped the light off and went to his room where he stored his and Pan's clothes in a neat pile in the corner. He went through it, careful not to unfold them by accident, and grabbed his second set of pyjamas. They were the over-sized ones that Grimm had given him at the very beginning.

When he went back to the bedroom he noticed only the one lump of his kit under the blankets. Where had Grimm run off to? He wasn't worried about the man, but he looked for him nonetheless, not wanting to be lying awake wondering where in the shadows he hid. He soon found him laid out on the largest couch in the living room covered in a blanket. The human heard him and opened his eyes.

"Something wrong, Ulquiorra?"

Ulqui only turned and went back to the bedroom to lay down, though not before checking his area for blood; it was clean. He wondered why the human was sleeping on the couch as he drifted off.

b~~~d

Grimmjow had to go to work alone the next day, which saddened him, but at the same time he didn't mind. It made him smile to hear the silent murmurs of return customers wondering where the nekos were, and Nnoitorra and Starrk were there as well to ask him outright. He told them that he'd explain everything at lunch; he needed some advice as well. It was a bit busy that day, orders seemed to come in non stop, but he enjoyed it because it kept him from worrying too much about Ulquiorra's state until it was finally time for his lunch break. He'd packed a simple lunch that day of a deli sandwich and a few other things, so he hung out at the staff table in the kitchen and laid his worries out for his old friends to hear.

Nnoitorra was drying dishes near him and Starrk was stirring a pot of rice pudding while he talked.

"I know you guys told me to update you on anything I found out about them, but it'd been too... personal to talk about before. I mean it still is but right now I don't really have anyone else to go to for this."

"Well, just spill it blue, we can help you if we don't know what you need help with," Nnoitorra murmured and started putting dried cups away.

Grimmjow sighed. "Apparently Ulquiorra and his previous alpha weren't on consensual terms." He received puzzled looks. "He was basically kidnapped and forced to bear the guy's litter; Pantera and three other kittens are the product of it..."

Starrk's eyebrows came together. "Rape? Such a thing happened to him?"

Grimmjow nodded gravely. "And apparently that sort of thing is allowed amongst them, or at least it has been since their population plummeted so low. Ulqui told me that all female or hermaphrodite nekos learn early that they either have to submit to a male or run and hide in fear of them. He lived alone from when he had his first period to before he was taken; it's scarred him, I think."

"How long ago did this happen?" Nnoi asked.

"No more than two years ago since Pan is only about one year old. To make it worse the alpha apparently wanted to kill Pan because he was the runt of the litter, and Ulquiorra ran away to protect him. One year later I come along and grab him." He rubbed his face. "Everything was fine but then last night he suddenly started his period and everything just changed. Just yesterday I was getting hissed at and carrying him to bed because he was sick, and then at like three in the morning I found him huddling under a cold shower afraid to let me anywhere near him... I think he believes that **I'll **attempt to rape him now."

"But way now? Why all of a sudden?" Starrk pondered as he ladel the rice pudding into bowls and set them on the windowsill for a waitress or waiter to take.

"I guess he didn't feel threatened until he started his period?" Nnoitorra offered which made sense to the other two men.

"I think I should give him some space until it ends and then talk to him afterwards. What do you guys think."

There was silence as they thought about it.

"That may be the only solution at the moment..." Starrk said and Nnoi nodded in agreement.

Grimm sighed. In that case he'd just hang out and not go home until much later; Ulquiorra usually went to sleep around twelve at night so he'd probably go home around then. He could also keep sleeping on the couch since it was comfortable enough. The alarm on his phone went off signalling the end of his break and he went back to work.

b~~~d

"One one... zero zero..."

Ulquiorra looked to Pantera who was gazing up at the clock on the oven and reading off the time. Was it really so late? He was actually beginning to wonder where Grimmjow was. He pushed it from his head and gave Pan a warm look. _"Time for bed, Runt."_

He turned and looked to his mother before he gently set his doll down. With an excited giggle he ran off in the direction of the basement and thundered down the stairs. Ulquiorra just followed him; where did the tot think he could hide? The basement was pitch black, but his night-vision kicked in so he didn't bother to flip on a light. Other than some stacks of boxes there weren't many places for Pan to hide, but then again he was small enough to fit in some unexpected places.

He called to his son gently as he rounded the few obstacles, receiving giggles that steered him in the right direction. He stopped when something caught his eye. His kimono was hanging up on a T-shaped stand off to the side. He went to it and ran his hands over it. It been so long since he'd seen it, and here it was washed and mended. Maybe he could wear it tomorrow?

"_Maaatrrr!_"

The teasing call drew his attention and he went back to hunting down his prey. Ulquiorra eventually found him in the dryer and tickled him as punishment before taking him to bed for the night.

x~x

The next morning, Grimm wasn't around, but there were signs that he had come home at some point. The blanket on the couch had a fresh layer of his scent, there was breakfast for them in the the microwave, his washcloth was wet, and Pantera's doll, which he had forgotten in the kitchen, had ended up in the arms of the dead-to-the-world kitten.

Well at least he knew the human hadn't some how died or disappeared, and it seemed that he was staying away from him. That made the neko feel relief but also a bit lonely. Lonely? He had no time to dwell on the strange feeling for Pan walked in.

"_Did Gimm-poppy ever come home?_"

"_Yes, and he made breakfast. Are you hungry?"_

The runt nodded and took his seat at the table. "_But where is he?_" he asked as a bowl of cinnamon oatmeal was set in front of him.

"_He must have already left for work._"

"_But Gimm-poppy doesn't work today..."_

"..._Is that so?"_

Pantera nodded and took a bite of oatmeal but quickly spit it out. "Ow! _Hot!_" He grasped the glass of milk being offered to him and sipped it to cool his tongue. He let out a satisfied "aah" as he set the glass down and blew on his next bite of food. "_He probably went out somewhere, and'll be back later..."_ he said to himself mostly.

"_I wouldn't mind if he just stayed where he was._"

"_Kim*?"_

_"Na kimapi*..."_ he murmured dismissively and went to retrieve his own breakfast.

Grimm continued to keep away from them for most of the week, and after a while Ulqui's relief turned into paranoia, and to make it worse Pan had seen the man a few times that week while he'd seen nary a flash of blue hair. He stayed up late one night weaving together strips of cloth he'd found in the basement. He wore his kimono as he sat in the dark at the dining table and questioned himself innerly.

_Why am I so worried about him? I should be glad that he's not here to try to mate me! _He shook his head angrily._ Urgh! Why am I acting like this? I'm acting like... like... _His green eyes widened and his blood went cold. _Like a beta worrying about her alpha..._

Ulqui slammed his craft on the table and stood abruptly. "He's not my alpha!"

He gasped and turned when he heard the truck hum into the driveway and go off. The neko stalked towards the door and stood in front of it.

The bluenet entered and shut the door unaware of Ulqui's presence, but when he closed the door and turned around he was met with glowing green eyes. He yelped and jumped back. "Jesus, Ulqui!" He took a deep breath to calm himself. "You scared the shit outta me, don't do that!"

The shorter neko grabbed Grimm's jacket and pushed him against the door. "You've been avoiding me..."

"What?"

He pulled him forward and slammed him back against the door. "You've been avoiding me! Me and only me! Why?" He panted harshly and was thankful for the darkness; he felt tears run down his cheeks. _Why am I crying...?_

Grimm's shocked expression softened and he put his hands over Ulqui's. "I wasn't avoiding you... I was staying away so you wouldn't feel threatened." He stroked the back of the neko's hand. "I didn't want you to be afraid of me. I'm sorry."

Ulquiorra snatched his hands away from the soothing touch and turned his back to the human. "Well, don't do it again" _I can't cope with the things I feel when you're gone... _He dashed away the few tears clinging to his long lashes and headed back towards the bedroom. "Sleep on the couch, human."

* * *

This one is a little shorter than the other two, but I was too satisfied with it as a whole to add more, sorry *laughs* Please be sure to leave me a review to enjoy and have a wonderful day! ^_^

_**Dictionary:**_

_kena: _why

_kim: _what

_matr: _mother/mommy

_na kimapi: _ nothing

_pitr: _father/daddy/poppy

_prayah: _almost (so _pitr prayah _just means almost father)

_rati: _Love

To _**kittykuriosity**_: Those are some lovely plot bunnies you have! There was one thing you said that fits closely with something I was already planning, and I like one of your other suggestions so I might implement that in a later chapter (I'm being vague so as to not reveal spoilers :D) And now that I think about it, are there any fics with UlquixMurceilago or just Murceilago? I wanna read one now! *runs off to find one*

Well I couldn't find one, so now I have to change that! Later of course though... XD


	5. IV: Fresh Snow

The hunter sighed as he felt himself slip into wakefulness. He kept his eyes closed as his senses came online one by one. There was a delightful smell in the cold air, and a small weight in the crook of his arm as well as the sound of humming close to his ear. He opened his eyes and saw Pantera snuggled in his arm, absent-mindedly humming a tune while staring at his doll. Grimm bent the arm the kitten was laying on and plucked at his furry ears. "Good morning kiddo."

Pan looked at him and smiled. "_Suprabhata*._"

Grimm kissed his forehead. "Have you been waiting for me to get up?" He received a nod. "Been waiting long?" Headshake. "Oh that's good then." He shifted so that he was sitting up and pulled Pantera into his lap. "You wanna go outside today? I could take you to the park."

"The one with swings? Yah!" he cheered. "_Kada*_?"

Grimm thought for a moment. "After we get dressed, I guess." The smell of something cooking drew his attention once more and he got up from the couch to peer into the kitchen. A smile formed on his face. Ulquiorra was cooking at the stove, clad in his old kimono, and the sleeves were tied back with what looked like Grimm's bathrobe tie. His black tail waved behind him as he finished and slid what he'd made onto a serving plate.

"Morning, Ulqui."

The neko flinched and looked to him.

Grimm approached him carefully and smiled when he didn't cringe when he placed his large hand in his dark hair. _He's letting me touch him again,_ he thought happily. He drew the neko into a loose hug and stroked his head; Ulqui didn't return the embrace. "Did you make breakfast for me? Thank you."

Ulquiorra grunted and gently pushed him away. He turned back to the counter and grabbed the large plate, which was laden with pancakes, to carry it to the dining table where Pan was already seated. Grimm watched him lift a few onto each of the plates set there before setting the rest in the center. At Pan's plea, he cut the kit's breakfast up and drizzled syrup on it. Grimm couldn't stop smiling; the neko reminded him of a house wife.

The human stepped forward just as Ulqui was about to take a seat. "Wait, can I talk to you for a second Ulquiorra?" He received a highly suspicious look from the neko and shook his head. "I promise I just want to talk. Just for a sec?"

Ulqui nodded slowly and followed him to the bedroom where Grimm made him sit down on the bed. The bluenet kneeled in front of him and took his hand. Ulquiorra tensed but didn't attempt to strike him. "What?" he asked.

Grimm cleared his throat. "A week ago, I had thought that I had completely earned your trust, but now I realize I was wrong to think that. I know now that it'll probably be a while before you trust me, and I'm okay with that. I just wanted you to know that I would **never** do anything to hurt you or Pan. Ever. Okay? No matter what, just remember that for me." They sat there in silence for a while, just staring at each other. Finally, Ulqui nodded. Grimm smiled and kissed the back of his shaking hand. He surprised the neko by standing and pulling him into another hug.

Ulquiorra tensed again but returned the embrace this time, burying his head into Grimm's shoulder and letting out a little sigh.

Grimmjow let him go and they walked back to the dining room where Pantera was pulling another flapjack onto his plate. "Hey you! Save some for the rest of us."

Pan giggled and took a bite out of the batter disk.

Grimm flicked his ear playfully and sat down to eat. _I can't believe Ulqui cooked for everyone. This is a nice change for sure! _He poured some syrup on and cut himself a piece to eat. "Urgh." He slammed his hand over his mouth so he wouldn't spit out the morsel. He swallowed. "Um... did you put bits of sardine in this..?"

Ulquiorra didn't look up from his plate. "Yes."

"Yummy, right, Gimm-_pitr_?"

Grimm shook his head and chuckled nervously. "It's not really for me..."

Breakfast went by quickly with Grimm discovering that he could stomach the fishy flapjacks so long as he didn't put syrup on them. He took care of the dishes while Ulquiorra got Pan and himself dressed, and then made his way to the bedroom to change out of his pyjamas. Ulquiorra and Pantera were already bundled up and ready to go when he walked into the living room to throw on his winter gear. He sat down on the floor to pull on his boots and grunted when Pan jumped on his back.

"Done yet?"

Grimm chuckled. "No, Pan."

He peeked over Grimm's shoulder a bit more. "Done now?"

"Heh, look you. Go play in the snow while I get ready, alright?"

"Okay!" Pantera slid off his back, and he watched him stand on his toes to reach the doorknob. His mother came up behind him and opened the door to let them both out.

The human managed to get his coat and such on quickly, and snagged his keys, phone, and wallet before heading out.

After a short drive on the highway they made it to the park. The moment Pan was released from the truck he rushed to the playground and managed to climb into the child swing. He fit his legs into the slots and waved at the adults with both hands. "Push me! Push meee!" he cried impatiently. His mother obliged while Grimm took a seat on a bench nearby.

His blue eyes scanned the area. The whole world was covered with crisp white and void of anyone but themselves and the few birds that stuck around in the winter. It would be eerily quiet if Pan wasn't cheering, "Whee! Higher! Higher, _matr!_" He smiled as his eyes fell upon the nekos. Ulqui's pale skin was only a few shades away from blending into the snow though his son held a light tan that could only be from his birth father. Their cheeks were flushed bright red from the cold but the chill didn't deter their fun. He pulled out his phone and snapped a few pictures.

"Those yours?"

Grimm looked over his shoulder to the person who'd spoken. It was a rather well-endowed woman, with bright orange hair that reminded him of Orihime and her husband. She smiled kindly with her slim hand resting on the head of a white-haired boy who looked less than pleased to be petted like that. His eyebrows rose when she lifted her hand and white cat ears lifted.

Ulquiorra took a seat beside him. "Yeah, you?"

She pet the snowy-haired kitten again. "Yup, this is my little Toshiro, and I'm Rangiku Matsumoto." She held out her hand. "You are?"

Grimm grasped her hand and felt Ulquiorra tense up and vibrate as he growled under his breath. He ignored the threatening reaction for now. "I'm Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. This is Ulquiorra and that's his son Pantera over there."

Rangiku gave Toshiro a nudge towards Pantera and rounded the bench to take a seat after he ran off. "I didn't think anyone else in the area had a neko in their family," she said excitedly. "I'm so happy to have found someone! So, are they rescues?"

"Rescues? Rescues from what?"

Her expression grew serious. "You **do** know that nekos are still being hunted right?"

"Well, yeah everyone knows that." He crossed his arms. "And they still haven't outlawed it..."

She nodded. "However, it is against the law to sell them. Or rather illegally distribute them for monetary gain."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Underground neko auctions get raided all the time, and any nekos found there get either sent back into the wild or to reservations, depending on what state or country they're in. But there are cases like with Shiro that they don't, or rather can't, do either thing."

Grimmjow sat up a bit straighter, very interested in the information. "What's wrong with him?"

She gave him a sad look. "His mother and father were killed and he didn't belong to a village. They couldn't throw him into the wild or the reservation because he was much too young to be left alone, so instead he was put into a nursery."

"Where you found him and adopted him, huh?"

"Not exactly. Toshiro's actually from overseas. I only found out about him when I discovered the site his nursery owned. On it there were live feeds of all the nekos in their little kennels, and you could just sit there and watch them and donate money to the nursery and such. I spent three months and countless dollars on that site before I finally decided to adopt one."

Grimm chanced a look at the young nekos and spotted them walking around. "Don't run off too far!" he called to them and looked back to the busty orangette. "Sorry. Anyway, what made you pick him?"

She shrugged. "He just looked so unhappy and every time I saw him I just had the urge to hug him and care for him. I just knew I wanted him in my life so I filed for adoption." She shrugged. "It took another two months but after a while he and an escort were put on a plane heading my way! I was so happy." Rangiku looked over to where the two kits were playing. "He's been with me for a good year and a half now, and I've enjoyed every minute." She looked back to Grimmjow. "What about you?"

Grimmjow cleared his throat and told her of how he came across the nekos and took them home. "That was only a couple of months ago, so I haven't had as much time with them as you have had with your boy." He heard Pantera call his name and just as he looked over, the energetic kit collided with his knees. "Careful, what's up?"

"Me' n ' Shi-o wanna go to the hill!" he said. "Can we?"

The adults agreed and followed the kittens to the hill, though Rangiku went to her car to get something.

b~~~d

Pantera slowed himself down on the swing as a white-haired neko approached him. "Hello," he greeted quietly.

"Hi. My name is Toshiro, what's yours?"

Pan managed to stop his swinging. "Patera." _Oops, said it wrong. _"Pah-**N**-Teh-Rah," he both corrected and enunciated. He grabbed hold of the swing's chains and wriggled out of the seat, and Toshiro moved away so that he could hop down from it. He was surprised that he had to look up at Toshiro, but then again he was a tiny thing. He smiled warmly. "How old are you?"

"I'm four. You?"

"I'm one!" Pan said. He attempted to say the older neko's name but found that he stumbled over it. He looked up at him sheepishly. "Um, can I call you Shi-o?" He was granted permission and the shyness went away. "Can we be friends?" he asked next.

Shiro smiled. "Sure, I'd like to have a friend who's like me."

Pantera cocked his head. "You have other friends?"

"Yeah, but they're human and older than me."

He looked over to where his _matr _and Grimm were sitting and saw an orange haired woman sitting by them. "Is that your _matr_?" he asked.

Toshiro cocked his head. "My what?"

"Your _matr_."

"I don't speak your language," he admitted.

"Oh um... m-mommy... is that your mommy?"

"Not really. She's my guardian."

"You don't think of her as your _matr_\- er mommy?"

"No..."

That confused Pan a little. After all, he thought of Grimm as his father even though he knew he wasn't. He figured that Toshiro wasn't close enough to the lady to think of her as his _matr_. Toshiro started walking and he followed him. "So where are your _matr_ 'n' _pitr_?"

"Dead..."

The little neko's ear flattened and he ran up to hug the taller neko around his chest.

Toshiro rested his cheek on Pan's head and hugged him back. "It's okay, I'm not sad about it anymore."

"You sure?"

At Toshiro's nod they ended the embrace. They held hands and walked towards the jungle gym.

"Don't run off to far!" he heard Grimm call to them.

He waved at the older male and continued walking with his new friend. He was excited to have a friend now, and wanted to get to know him better. "You speak English good!" he complimented. "'N' I really like your colors! What's your language if you don' speak mine? Do you like 'hide 'n' go peep'? Can you count? I can't get past seben. What's you favourite food? I like whatever Gimm-_pitr _makes a'cause is always yummy. Do you like candy? I like candy. Gimm-_pitr_ might have candy! Want me to ask if he has candy? I'll go see if he has ca-mmph!"

Toshiro grabbed him before he could run off and planted a mittened hand over his mouth. "You talk a lot," he said and started to climb the ladder for the monkey bars. The younger kit pouted and looked down as he apologized, but Toshiro dismissed it. "It's okay." He settled in between a couple of icy cold bars and invited Pan up. "Thank you, I didn't find English hard because I liked it. I like your colors too, especially your eyes because they're two colors. I don't know the name of my language, but it sounds like this: _Dan huwa lingwa tiegħi. Stramb, huh?* _Do you mean 'hide and go seek' because I do like that game. I can count all the way to forty, and it's **seven** not **seben**. I like watermelon, and I do like candy, but I don't want any right now, thanks."

Pantera let his legs dangle off the side of the monkey bars and kicked them idly as he listened to his friend. "What's a 'woturmalen'?"

"It's um..." Shiro thought for a second. "It's a really big green fruit that's red on the inside with black seeds. You can't eat the green part, but the red part is sweet and a bit messy to eat. You just spit the seeds out as you go."

"I want one!" Pan squealed. "I want one now!"

"You can only get good watermelon in the summer, though."

Pan adopted that usual pathetic look he made when disappointed. "But that's so far away..." He whimpered sadly at the lost opportunity, but put it away in favor of having fun with Shiro. He looked around for a moment until his eyes fell upon the slide. That seemed like fun despite how cold the metal would be on his tail. "Wanna slide, Shi-o?"

The elder looked over and made an indifferent sound. "I can make a better slide than that."

His odd colored eyes widened; his friend was getting cooler and cooler by the minute! "You can **make** a slide?!"

"Yeah," he said and pointed to a hill a good distance away. "But, I can only make one over there."

"Okay, but I hafta tell my Gimm-_pitr_." Pantera eased his way off of the structure and darted towards where all the adults were still sitting and talking. He called to his father figure just before he pounced on his legs.

"Careful, what's up?" Grimm asked.

"Me' n ' Shi-o wanna go to the hill!" he said. "Can we?"

"Hm? Why do you want to go all the way over there?" Grimm asked.

"Shi-o said he can make a slide!"

"Oh, sledding?" Shiro's caretaker said. "That'll be fun, and I brought your sled."

"Want us to meet you up there?" Grimm offered. She agreed and the rest of them made their way to the hill._  
_

The trek was hard on Pan's little legs, but he made it up there in his own as he didn't want to seem weak in front of Shiro. When they made it to the top, the white neko planted his butt in the soft snow and started scooting down the steep hill. His brain wracked with confusion, and his head cocked, Pantera followed along the side, being careful as to not step in the path Shiro was making.

"This doesn't look like a slide..." he murmured.

"Well, I'm not done yet," Toshiro huffed. He shooed him. "Stay up there, I'll be done soon."

With a huff Pantera went back up the hill and made it to the top just as the orange haired woman came, carrying a flat colorful board. Using his teeth to pull off his mittens, he climbed up Grimm's pants leg to his shoulder and listened in on the adults' conversation while he waited.

"So when will Pantera start school?" the woman asked.

Grimm gave her a shocked look. "I can send him to school?!"

"Yeah, Shiro's in kindergarten right now! He's loves it. All you have to do is get your little kitty," she paused and scratched the underside of Pan's chin, "to take a small entrance test. It's mostly to gauge how he'd act around a group of human kids, as well as his current intellect range."

"But he's only one."

She shrugged. "Have him take it anyway, age apparently doesn't matter so long as he can pass the test with a good enough grade."

Grimm reached a hand back and pulled the little neko in front of him. He dangled there with only Grimm's hands under his armpits to hold him. "Would you like that, Pan? Do you want to try to get into school?"

"What's school?" Pan asked.

"A place where you can learn new things and be around a bunch of other kids. Basically anyway."

His tail waved excitedly. "Yah! That sounds fun!"

There was a grunt behind them and he turned to see Shiro climbing back up the hill. "I'm done," he announced as he walked towards the orangette. "Can I have my board, Ms. Matsumoto."

She pouted and squatted to his level. "Will you ever call me 'mommy' Shiro?"

The white neko shrugged and with a small grin grabbed his board and headed back to the start of his path. "Come on, Pantera." He set the board at the edge of the path and told Pan to hop on. The little neko was nervous, but eventually crawled on and grasped the handles. Toshiro snuggled up behind him on the board. "You ready?"

_Ready? Am I ready for what? Are we about to go down the hill on this? Is that even safe?!_

"Pan." The kit looked to the side and saw Grimm kneeling on the hill holding up his phone. "Wave at the camera, Pan." He gave the older male a weird look and he pointed at the little circle on the phone. "This thing."

Pantera waved sheepishly, and on the count of three Toshiro launched them down the hill. The sensation of falling scared the kit at first, but as they slipped down the hill at an increasing speed a thrill came over him and he whooped along with Shiro. They hit a mound of snow that Toshiro made at the bottom and tumbled head-over heals off the sled. Pan found himself shaking from the thrill and excitement as he stood.

"Wanna go again?"

Pantera bobbed his head. "Yah!"

b~~~d

The sound of Pan's excited shrieks and screams made a small smile grow on Ulqui's face, but he quickly caught himself, and made it go away. He was glad that there was an older neko kit for his runt to befriend now; it'd be good for him in the long run. He stiffened when Grimm threw an arm over his shoulder, but relaxed into the human's warmth, grateful for it when a gust blew through. He watched as the kitten's scaled the hill and prepared to slide down it again.

"They are just so cute!" the Rangiku woman said suddenly, all but ruining Ulqui's mood.

He glared at her from the corner of his eye. For some reason, that woman just didn't sit well with him, she made him feel oddly irritated. The way she threw her assets about around Grimm made Ulqui want to claw at her pretty face. But why...? He tensed when she suddenly hugged Grimm's other arm and started chattering inanely.

_Don't touch him!_

Ulquiorra's eyebrows came together at the weird thought and he unconsciously began digging his nails into the blue-haired human's side. He'd been having suspicious thoughts ever since the woman made her appearance, but they seemed to had turned more territorial as the day went on.

"Ow! Ulquiorra, watch your claws!"

The neko came out of his thoughts and pulled his hands off of Grimm.

The human cupped his cheek and made him meet his blue eyes. "What's wrong, Ulqui." The neko couldn't manage his words, so Grimm pulled him into a tight hug. "C'mon. Are you cold? Bored? Hungry? You gotta tell me what's wrong so I can fix it."

Rangiku leaned against Grimm once more. "Not much of a talker, huh?"

_Don't touch him! _Ulquiorra glared and hissed at the busty woman making her flinch and back away. Ulqui continued to glare as we snuggled deeper into Grimm's embrace.

"Hey you!" Grimm scolded and then looked to Rangiku. "Sorry, he's distrustful of people..."

Rangiku smiled and hid a laugh behind her hand. "Don't worry," she said, addressing Ulquiorra instead of Grimm, "I'm not trying to steal your man!"

The neko flushed and pushed Grimm away. The human grunted and stopped himself from falling as Ulqui stamped away to the edge of the hill as if he intended to watch the kits play.

_He isn't 'my man' _he told himself. _He isn't..._

x~x

The kits played for a few more hours before the cold finally became too much and they went to their respective parents in search of warmth. Grimm laughed as the kit tried to crawl into his coat, before finally opening it and letting him in. Ulquiorra began to gently lick at Pantera's frozen nose and cheeks in attempt to warm them. Rangiku picked up Toshiro and snuggled him into her chest to warm him.

"Any chance you want to go to a cafe?" she asked.

Grimm shook his head. "Nah, I wanna get these guys home and into warm clothes. Maybe a hot bath too."

She nodded. "Oh, can I get your number though? We could meet up for another playdate later."

"I don't see why not." He rattled off his number, and she sent him a text so he'd have hers. They shared a few more words as they walked back to their cars and eventually said their farewells.

Pantera was passed out by the time they got home, but he woke up quickly when Grimmjow pulled him from his car seat.

"Can I have a bath with you, Gimm-_pitr_?" he asked as he was carried inside.

Grimm pulled the kitten out of his outer garments. "You don't want to take a bath with your _matr_?"

Pan gave him a hopeful look. "Can _matr_ come too?"

The bluenet chuckled and removed his own outer layer. "That's completely up to him."

Pan nodded and darted off to the back of the house where Ulquiorra had retreated to. "_Matr!_ Wanna have a bath with me 'n' Gimm-_pitr_?" he called as he ran. Grimm laughed, and just told him to grab both of their pyjamas and some new underwear before putting everything away and then heading to the bathroom to run a bath.

The tub was almost full by the time Pantera entered, lugging the sleepwear. Grimmjow set the clothes on the sink and undressed Pan before undressing himself. Grimm settled himself in the tub, and threw a washcloth over his lap before lifting Pan into it. The kit splashed about while his hair given a light wash and a washcloth was used to carefully clean the inside of his ears. They twitched uncontrollably each time they were touched, making the job a tad more difficult. Ulquiorra walked in just as Grimm began scrubbing the wriggly kitty's armpits.

"Oh, are you going to join us?" he asked as the older neko began removing his clothes.

Ulqui gave him a sideways glance and wrapped a towel around himself and seated himself on the floor next to the tub. He tugged Pan towards him and began gently tongue cleaning his face. Grimmjow leaned on the edge so he'd have a better vantage point, and watched the loving process with a small smile.

"_Matr,_" Pan murmured in between licks. "You should clean Gimm-_pitr's_ face too."

The neko stopped licking and glanced between his kit and the human. Grimm grew a cheeky grin and moved his face a little closer to Ulqui. "Yeah, mama-cat, give my face a good cleaning," he teased. He honestly expected to get a scoff and be pushed away, but he was shocked when Ulqui leaned forward and began laving Grimm's tanned cheek with his rough tongue. In his surprise, Grimmjow tried to move away, but Ulquiorra grasped his chin in his ashen hand and held him still much like how Grimm had seen him hold Pan when he was fidgeting during his own tongue bath. When Ulqui finished, Grimm could honestly say that his face felt cleaner than if he'd just used a washcloth. "Thanks, Ulqui."

He only grunted and went back to cleaning Pantera's face. Grimm joined in on the cleaning, and finished washing Pan's body.

When they finished, Grimm and Pan hopped out and left Ulqui to wash himself. They dressed, and Grimm settled Pan on the couch while he got dinner ready. It was going to be a simple beef stew with vegetables and rotini noodles and some spice bread on the side. After some slight preparation, he just let it boil, coming back to stir it occasionally so nothing would get stuck to the bottom. He took a seat on the arm of the couch and watched the show Pantera was engaged in.

_"Put up your fingers and count with me!"_ the large-eye cartoon girl on the tv said.

Pantera excitedly held up his hands and counted off with her. _"_One... two... tree..._" _Grimm shook his head and went back to the kitchen to stir the stew while the kit continued to count. _"_... four... five... sik... seb -er- seven... eight... nai..._" _Pantera screamed "Ten!" excitedly when the girl on the tv said, "Ten." He bounced on the couch. "Gimm! Gimm! I got to ten! I got to ten!"

"Way to go buddy," Grimmjow congratulated.

He heard Pan jump off the couch and thunder towards the back. "I gotta tell _Putrika*_!"

The hunter made a face. _Putrika? Who is that?_ He asked when Pan returned toting his doll.

Pantera poked the doll's rosy colored cheek. _"_Putrika_," _he said. "This is Putrika. Putrika say hi." He made it wave and said in a high pitched voice said, "Hi!"

Grimm chuckled and shook the doll's hand in a polite greeting. "Oh, that reminds me." He abandoned the kitchen and went to where his coat was hanging. He reached into an inner pocket and pulled out a little bag, and from that a little outfit on a tiny hanger. It was a white gown with short sleeves and a high collar. A pair of white bloomers and a nightcap hung along with it. "Look, it's a nightgown for Putrika."

Moony-eyed, the kit took the doll clothes, and just stared at them for a while. Grimm offered to help him redress Putrika and he nodded. They took a seat on the floor, and Grimm gently pulled the doll's clothes off, and gave it back so that Pantera could put the sleepwear on. He snuggled the newly clothed porcelain doll happily and went to sit at the table as Grimm instructed.

Ulquiorra finally made his appearance and was urged to sit as well as Grimm poured stew into three bowls. He placed spoons into each one, and with practiced ease, balanced the bowls one one arm and held the plate of spice bread in the other. He served up the meal and sat down to enjoy it. It was a mostly quiet meal, with Pan chattering briefly to his mother about getting to ten and the new clothes for Putrika. When they finished, Grimm put away the left overs and washed the dishes while Pan went back to his program with his mother sitting close by. He dried his hands and went to join them.

The couch's cushions sagged as he flopped his weight onto them and he let his head rest on the back. For a while he just listened...

_"Look! This shape has - count with me - one... two... three! Three sides! So what must this shape be?"_

"A triangle!" Pan offered.

_"Good job! This is a triangle. Let's go find some more shapes!"_

_I really wish this was Bill Nye, or Cyberchase because this chick is so damn annoying!_

It continued like that until it was finally time to put the kit to bed and he was able to turn the game on for the last few hours before he'd take himself to bed; he had work tomorrow after all. God, his home team was down by 3 already!

He flinched when his phone buzzed on the coffee table and leaned forward to snag it and look at the screen: it was Nnoitorra.

**"Dude! R u watchin da** **game?!"** the text said.

Grimm rolled his eyes. The guy had a qwerty keyboard, he had no business using text talk. **"Stop writing like that. And yeah. It's pathetic." **He set the phone down on the couch, knowing that Nnoi was a slow texter, and went back to watching the game unfold. "C'mon, catch the ball" he managed to not yell. The phone buzzed and he looked at it suspiciously before picking it up.

**"Heyah Grimmy! I didn't wake you up did I? I wanted to see if you wanted to schedule a playdate! :***

Grimmjow realized that he'd forgotten to save Rangiku's number and rectified the situation before texting back. **"Nah, I was up, and sure"**

It seemed that Rangiku was a very fast texter, for Grimm hadn't even managed to set his phone down before it buzzed once more. **"How about at someone's house?"**

**"Sounds like a plan. Mine or yours?"**

**"Yours, my apt is always messy XD"**

Grimm chuckled at that. **"Thursday or Friday good?"**

**"Yeah! Just text me the**** address"** Grimm took a moment to do so and was instantly texted back. **"Okay, see you then! Good night Grimmy :*"**

**"Okay, good night"**He tossed his phone away and went back to his game.

_Buzz_

He sighed and picked the phone back up.

**"I cn txt anyway I wnt, Blu!"**

He shook his head. **"Good night, Nnoi."**

b~~~d

Ulquiorra continued to stay home for the week, and made his kit stay with him. It was too cold, and he preferred to stay in the nest where it was warm and when he wasn't lazing about busied himself with entertaining Runt and occasionally making dinner for when Grimm got home; the human wasn't always very pleased with his concoctions, but seemed to like the gesture.

The neko wasn't sure why he was suddenly so calm in the human's presence, but he liked it. Maybe he simply felt safer around him now that he knew that, without a doubt, Grimm meant no harm to Ulqui or Pan. Yeah, that was probably it...

The day came when Grimm could stay home and he simply relaxed on the floor waving his tail as Pan tried to pounce on it. He flinched when the kit managed to grab hold of the limb and sink his mini fangs into it. He snatched his tail away and bopped him in the nose. There was a knock at the door, and before he could get up, Grimm yelled that he'd get it and strolled over to it. Ulqui thought nothing of it, expecting that one of Grimm's friend had come to visit.

"Hey, Grimmy!"

Ulquiorra lurched to his knees. _Why is **she** here...?_

Pantera gasped and ran to the door. "Shi-o! Shi-o!" The kits hugged and Toshiro held up a box once he was freed from his heavy coat.

"I brought a puzzle," he said.

"Pus-sle?" Pan said, staring at the box curiously.

Grimm pointed towards the bedrooms. "You can set that up back there. Show him to your room Pan."

His kit grabbed hold of Toshiro's hand and dragged him off in the direction of the bedroom, grabbing Putrika as he passed by Ulqui. The adult neko cast a steely glare at the Rangiku woman and followed the kits; he'd much rather be with them than anywhere near her.

b~~~d

"Where are you going, Ulqui?" Grimm asked when he noticed the retreating neko. "Come back." He flinched when he received a particularly harsh hiss.

Rangiku giggled. "Well, she really doesn't like me."

Grimm scratched his neck and indicated the couch for Rangiku to take a seat on. "Yeah... he's distrusting of new people, but today he's being downright nasty."

The orangette settled on the couch at Grimm's silent offer. "It's because I'm trespassing."

Grimm headed to the kitchen to get beers for himself and his guest. "Trespassing?"

"Yeah, you've brought a strange woman into the nest, and he feels threatened by it." She thanked him and took the opened bottle.

"Why would he feel threatened?"

Rangiku gave him a surprised look. "Grimmy! You're too cute to be this dense!"

"What? What am I being dense about?"

"Grimm, Ulquiorra liiikes you~!"

"What? Nah, he hates me."

"It's probably a front then," she shrugged and twirled a lock of hair. "I bet she actually thinks of you as her alpha even, and since you have another woman, me, around she feels that her standing with you is being threatened."

"Ulqui's not a woman per say," he finally corrected her. "I think he identifies as male."

"Even worse! Here I am, a fully functioning female with birthing hips and milk bearing breasts, while he has none of the sort. If we were all nekos then I would be the better choice if you were an alpha looking to have kits."

Grimm stared at her for a while. Did Ulquiorra really see him as alpha material, and was really jealous of Rangiku? If so then it would really explain why he'd been so hostile towards the woman and why he'd gotten clingy that day at the park. He still had his doubts though. "I'll... ask later I guess."

"Okay then for now," she sucked back the last gulp of beer and held the bottle out to him, "can I get another?"

Grimm took the bottle with a bewildered look; he hadn't even drunk half of his own beer.

x~x

The day went by slowly. Rangiku revealed herself to be quite a drinker, knocking back five bottles while Grimm had only had two. Also, he found out that her father had studied nekos which influenced her knowledge of Grimm and Ulqui's situation, but other than that she was an editor for a woman's magazine and wrote a column for it called _"The Many Faces of a Wet Cat"_. They stayed for dinner, and he had a very unhappy Pantera to deal with when they had to leave.

"Don't worry, honey," Rangiku said sweetly. "I'll bring Toshiro over again to play with you, okay? I'd let him stay, but I didn't bring his pjs and he has school tomorrow."

"Can I go too then?" he asked hopefully. "I wanna go to school with Shi-o..."

Grimm patted his head. "I'll see about getting you enrolled in school, Pan. Be patient."

The pair left for another day and Grimm bathed the nekos and put Pan to bed, Ulqui went to join him, but Grimmjow grabbed him and pulled him into a tight hug. Smiling at the suspicious look he was given, Grimm finally asked the neko his question. "Ulqui, do you like me?" Grimm watched his ears flattened and his eyes widen comically. Ulqui tried to get away from him but the embrace was too tight. "Don't try to run," he said. "Just tell me... please?"

Green eyes met blue and held each other's gazes for a while. Ulqui's small mouth opened.

"_Matr.._?" Pan walked out of the bedroom rubbing his eye sleepily. "Are you coming, _matr_?"

Ulqui pushed away and snatched up his son. Before Grimm could manage another word he rushed into their old room and locked the door behind him. Grimmjow sighed and rubbed his face in annoyance. _Dammit, Pan; such bad timing._

x~x

He woke early the next morning, when the sun was still resting and the streets were still dark. He stumbled out of his room and stood at the door the nekos were behind, trying the door to find that it was still, of course, locked. It was a simple lock, however. One that had a simple button on the inside and on the outside there was a small hole that Grimm could stick a pin of a lollipop stick into to unlock. He left Ulqui alone however, he didn't want to corner the poor guy. He instead turned and went to the living room and flopped onto the couch. He flipped the tv on to the cartoons. Since it was still early, the channel would still be playing the stuff he watched as a child.

He dozed as he watched, barely hearing the voices of his beloved childhood characters let alone seeing them and their antics.

Grimm grunted sleepily when he felt someone crawl into his lap and curl up. Without lifting his eyelids he knew the meager weight to be Pantera and hooked his arm under the kid's head so he could sit comfortably. Grimm opened his eyes and looked at the kit.

Pan's focus was on the tv, curiously watching the cartoon characters with his head nestled in his father-figure's arm. His face wrinkled with annoyance when Grimm began gently flicking his nose. He pouted forcefully at the bigger male.

With a chuckle, Grimm hooked his hands under the kit's armpits and lifted him from his supine position and put his against his chest. Pan rested his head on Grimm's shoulder and looked up at him. "Pan, do you think your mother likes me?" Grimm finally asked the child.

Pantera was quiet for a long time. Long enough the Grimm began to think that he'd confused the one-year old. "You don't know?" Pan started just as Grimm was beginning to think he should drop the subject. "_Matr, _smell different when with Gimm-_pitr_."

Grimm looked at him carefully. "Smells **different**?"

Pan nodded. "When _matr _is with Patera, he smell calm and sweet, like honey 'n' milk, 'n' when with you it smell like spicy 'n' chocolate. Very different than when we were with _kupitr_."

"Who's _kupitr_?"

"Patera's real poppy. The _durjana;_ bad man. _Matr _smell bitter 'n' sour when he was with _kupitr_..." He looked sad suddenly. "_Matr_ would smell so comfy until he came in the nights..."

"Why did he come at night?"

"To try to take Patera away... but _matr _**always** woke up 'n' stopped him."

Grimm pet his head, trying to will away the kit's sadness. "What does he smell like around other people?" The kit said no, and that made Grimm smile. "Really? Well doesn't that make me feel special?"

"Does Gimm-_pitr_ want to be _matr's_ _sayuj_?"

The bluenet shook his head, shaking his wild curls and reminding him that they needed a trim. "I don't know that word."

The neko scrunched his face up as he thought. Searching his young mind for the word that closely fit _s__ayuj_, and would help Grimm find his answer. "L-Lovely..?" he murmured with uncertainty. He tried a few more times before giving up. "When two people _rati _each other 'n' stay together 'n' have kits together."

"Like husband and wife?"

"Yah!"

Grimm smiled. "Would you like that Pan? Do you want me to be with your mom like that?"

"Yah! Yah! Gimm-_pitr _make _matr _happy!" Grimm gave him a confused look. "_Matr _makes faces now. He was alway blank face or scared faced before but now he smiles and frowns and makes other faces. I like that."

"In that case, I'll work hard to keep him happy and smiling for you. Maybe in time we'll get together, huh?"

"Don't say strange things."

The pair flinched and looked to the hall where Ulquiorra leaned against the wall. His green eyes were calm, though his posture betrayed hidden embarrassment and nervousness to them. Pantera scooted off Grimm's lap and rush to him. "_Matr, _Grimm-_pitr_ like you too!" A pale pink graced the older neko's cheeks. "Will you let him be your _sayuj_ now?" The pink brightened.

Ulqui looked at Grimm, the calm in his eyes wavering slightly as he turned even redder. "Don't be silly..." he said almost inaudibly before turning and heading back to the bedroom with Pan close behind.

Grimm smirked as he heard the springs of his bed creak as Ulqui and Pan settled on it. Having Ulqui as his wife sounded nice actually...

* * *

_**Dictionary:**_

_*Dan huwa lingwa tiegħi. Stramb, huh?: (Maltese) _This is my language. Weird, huh? (I used Maltese because it's also a breed of cat =^w^=)

_Durjana_: Bad man

_Kada: _When

_Kupitr_: Bad father

_Matr: _Mother/Mommy

_Pitr: _Father/Poppy

_Putrika: _Doll

_Sayuj_: Mate

_Suprabhata: _Good Morning


	6. V: Snow and Mistletoe

I'm doing a mixed perspective for this chapter, just a heads up ^_^

* * *

The little neko was sitting at the bar in the diner that his Grimm-_pitr_ worked in, staring at the small plant he held, studying the small leaves and long stems that were bound in a red bow at the end. He sniffed it but it didn't have a smell, or at least not a very noticeable one. Either way, he seriously doubted that it would make his _matr _and Grimm closer than they already were. He gave the sleepy man who'd given him the plant a suspicious look. "Whazit do?"

Starrk chuckled. "It's not the plant itself that does anything, but the meaning behind it. Grimmjow has explained Christmas to you right?"

Pantera nodded. "Yah! On Christmas, family come together and good kits get presents!"

Starrk smiled, his eyes-threatening to close. "Yeah, that's about it. There's more to it if you're religious, but I won't get into that. Anyway, along with that Christmas has certain traditions, one of which is that mistletoe you're holding. When two people stand under that plant they **have** to kiss, and Grimm knows it."

Pan cocked his head. _"Evam*?"_

The sleepy human nodded and he looked to the sprig of mistletoe, seeing it in a whole new light. He couldn't wait to use it on the adults.

x~x

Grimm felt a bit tired as he drove home from work. He couldn't wait for Christmas vacation when he could just sleep in. The bluenet peered at the rear view mirror at the kitten. He'd recently gotten a small backpack for Pantera that seemed to have a fitting design on it; it was black with a blue and green star pattern and gray snowflakes dusting one side on the front. Pan clutched the mostly empty bag to his lap securely, petting the pocket happily as he looked out the window. He wasn't sure what Starrk had said to the kit, but Pantera was extremely excited, smiling widely and humming in his car seat.

"What are you smiling about?" he murmured with a grin.

Pan giggled. _"Na kimapi."_

Grimm shook his head and put his eyes back on the road; he was certain he'd find out sooner or later.

The pair shivered as they journeyed from the car to the house and were relieved when they made it inside where it was a wonderful 70 degrees and the smell of something cooking reached their noses.

Ulquiorra wandered over to them as they removed their winter gear. The neko had begun staying home some time ago, wanting to take care of the nest rather than laze about at the diner around strange humans and the heavy scent of cooking. It was boring, and he honestly couldn't figure out why his kit enjoyed being there so much. Granted, the white kit, Toshiro, sometimes came up there to spend time with him nowadays.

He had his usual blank façade on as he watched them undress and he kneeled to catch his freezing son and pull him inside him kimono. He went to settle on the couch and gently began licking his cold face. His green eyes settled on the human whose bones popped loudly as he stretched and sighed wearily as he walked over and sat on the couch as well. Without warning he snuggled into Ulqui's side, shivering and trying to draw warmth from the neko. The neko silently turned so that Grimm could nuzzle against his back.

"Mm," Grimm sighed and shoved his nose into the side of Ulqui's neck, enjoying the higher temperature as well as his overall scent. The smell of spices and meats lingered with his natural effeminate musk giving off an enjoyable scent, to him. He opened his eyes and peered at his profile as he dutifully warmed his kitten's nose. He smiled, seeing the spark of happiness and content glistening deep in his blank eyes.

Pantera squirmed until finally his _matr _let him free and he darted off to give the adults some space.

With Pan gone, Ulquiorra moved to stand, but Grimm stopped him by wrapping his larger arms around his waist. He felt himself get tugged into Grimm's lap and newly warmed lips touched his neck. He tensed a little but eventually relaxed, his normally deadpan expression faltering slightly. It worried him that he liked when Grimm held him like that, felt awfully comfortable even. He felt another kiss get pressed to his neck.

"You're so wonderful," Grimm murmured.

The neko looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened at the warm look the bluenet was giving him. _You too..._

His cheeks turned bright red and he surged to his feet, knocking the human in the jaw with his shoulder. As Grimm groaned in pain, and walked briskly back to the kitchen to tend to dinner.

Grimm rubbed his chin with a wince and watched Ulqui's tail twitch nervously as he retreated into the kitchen. He smirked. _Yeah, he likes me ... _he thought confidently.

x~x

The next day was bitterly cold and brought a new layer of snow, so Grimm had to leave Pan at home, much to the kit's chagrin. He smiled despite all that because today was the last day before his vacation and Christmas was right around the corner. He still had a lot to do. There were already a few decorations set up around the house, a wreath on the door, garland waving along the kitchen's island and arching over the entryway to the back of the house and the glass doors leading to the side of the house and in conjunction the back yard. There was nowhere to really put stockings so he hung those along the island as well. However, he still wanted to put up a few lights on the house, and pick out a small evergreen to decorate. He already had presents for his nekos securely tucked away where they weren't liable to find them.

Due to the cold, there were very few people to inhabit the diner, so the chefs and staff ended up just chatting for most of the day. The bluenet joked around with his mates in an empty booth near the kitchen, and eventually told him about his decorating plans. He convinced Nnoi to help him with the decorating and such and would be coming home with him, and Starrk said would be tagging along as well, though mostly to hang out. Grimm and Nnoitorra both agreed that his narcolepsy and the weather did not mix. The bell dinged signalling a new customer and they looked up to say welcome.

"Oh, hey that's the boss' hubby," Nnoi noticed.

Grimm nodded and stood to see what the oranget wanted as well as to ask about Orihime. They shook hands as when they grew close.

"Hello, I'm just here to check up on things," Ichigo told him. His hard look turned soft. "She was so worried about everybody."

Grimm shrugged with a grin. "She worries too much; everything's fine. Oh, got any pictures of the little belly troll."

Ichigo laughed at the weird name and flipped out his phone. "Belly **trolls** actually. She had twin boys." He flipped to a picture of two babies swathed in a gray blanket next to a resting and haggard looking Orihime laying next to them. They were identical in face and body, but one was albino while the other sported his inherited orange curls. The albino's eyes were shut tight in contemplation as he gummed his little fist, but the other gave his mother a curious yet happy look as he tugged on a lock of her long hair. "The pale one's name is Zangetsu and the happy one over there is Kon."

"Gorgeous," Starrk murmured, having come up behind Grimm at the mention of baby pictures.

Grimm agreed; the three of them together made a beautiful and adorable picture. "You should take that around, and show everyone; it'd make their days." He watched Ichigo nod, and wandered towards the kitchen to show the picture off.

"Hmm," Starrk sighed after a while.

"What?"

"What do you think yours and Ulquiorra's kits would look like?"

Grimmjow barked out a laugh. "Is that really something you think about when you go off into 'Lalaland'? You're a puzzle, man."

x~x

Pan made a delighted squeal when Grimm returned with his friends in tow. He rushed up to Starrk happily. "Sleepy man!"

Starrk caught him and pulled him into a hug. He laughed. "I keep telling you to call me 'Starrk' or maybe 'Uncle Starrk.' Did you carry out the plan yet?"

"What plan?" Nnoi and Grimm chorused.

Starrk shrugged and went to sit down with Pantera still in his arms. "Don't worry about it."

The other two adults shrugged and went down to the basement and returned and left the house carrying a couple of boxes. His _matr_ had decided not to cook that day, so he merely entered the living room and laid out on the couch; he was comfortable around the sleepy human now, so no murderous glares were sent his way.

Pan giggled and left Starrk for a moment to go get the mistletoe from the bedroom where he'd left it. He ran back and kneeled next to the couch near his _matr's_ face. He held the plant up and poked his lips out, making smooching sounds until Ulquiorra finally opened his eyes and planted a few kisses on his awaiting lips. The kit giggled, pleased, and went to Starrk to receive a kiss as well.

Ulquiorra watched as the human gave his kit a kiss before promptly nodding off. Pan abandoned him in favor of batting around his ball.

Pan had spent the day teaching him the strange human tradition of kissing under the mistletoe, and using it to get innumerable amounts of kisses from him. The neko found it weird as well as unnecessary; his kit didn't need some **plant** to get kisses.

Grimmjow and Nnoitorra remained outside for a long time, and Ulqui could hear thumps and clatters of the two men working. He considered checking on them a few times, but remembered how cold outside was and shoved the desire away. He didn't move from his comfortable spot until Pan whined that he was hungry and then Ulqui got up and went to the kitchen. He found leftover soup in the fridge and warmed it up. The kit was grateful and ate with gusto, finishing just as the two humans came inside, shivering and blowing into their hands after ripping off their gloves.

"Whoo! Man it's cold!" the one-eyed human exclaimed; Starrk didn't stir despite the noise.

"Forecast says it's only going to get colder," Grimm muttered bitterly. He bitterness left his voice when he looked to the nekos and said, "Get your boots on and come outside."

Pan hopped out of his seat and rushed to do as he was told but Ulquiorra stood still and gave the human a dubious look. If it was cold outside as they claimed then there was no way he'd go out in his thin kimono; even Runt's night-clothes were warmer than it. He turned to go and change into something warmer but Grimm ran up and lifted him off his feet by his waist.

"You don't need to change," the human said, having known exactly what the jade-eyed neko had wanted to do. He carried him to the door, and Ulqui glared at the snow-filled tracks the human had left in the floor; he'd clean that when they finished whatever it was the human was making them do. "You'll only be outside for half a second." He set him next to the shoe rack and Ulqui slipped his boots onto his bare feet.

Pantera was more than happy to run outside. Hopping in the deep snow and throwing some around - luckily he'd put his mittens on - and fixing some into a ball and flinging it at the adults. His aim was poor so none of them were hit with it. Grimmjow urged the group toward the end of the driveway and connected some wires near the house. The nekos squinted as lights came to life blinding them momentarily. The spots and tears cleared and they were treated with a foreign sight.

The house was laced liberally with strings of white, blue, and orange lights wrapped around the railings of the little set of stairs and the guard rails around the porch. They traced the underside of the rain gutters and around the door and windows; even the small window for the attic had lights around it. Strands of white snowflake shaped lights hung along the edge of the porch shimmying and spinning in the brisk breeze that was blowing through. Pan was starry-eyed at the whole display, and Ulquiorra had to admit that he was rather impressed. The kit cheered and he nodded when Grimm asked if they liked it.

It was very odd to see the nest so in such an eye-catching state, for Ulqui. Nests were supposed to blend in and keep predators away from those inside, but in the wild this bright monstrosity would be a deathtrap. Luckily, this was the human lands where he wouldn't have to worry about Pantera being stolen from the nest...

They gawked at the light show for a while until they noticed the chill once more and went inside to escape it.

Pantera continued to laugh and cheer excitedly about the decorations, while Ulqui silently started to clean up the salt and melting slush Grimm tracked into the house. Eventually it wound down and the men were resting on the couch watching tv, Pan had nodded off in Grimm's lap, and Ulquiorra was beginning to feel fatigue as well. He gathered up the sleeping kitten and retreated to the bedroom to sleep.

Grimmjow waited a while before he decided the nekos were surely asleep and he and Nnoi got ready to go; it was time for the final part of their plan. He cocked an eyebrow when Starrk wandered towards the kitchen with something in his hand. "What're you doing?" he asked.

"Just... throwing something away," the narcoleptic man muttered and ambled back to the front of the house to get ready. "Let's get going, huh?"

x~x

"AAAHH!"

Ulquiorra lurched out of his dreams and fell out of the bed, hitting the floor with a sickening thud, at the sound of his kit's scream. He struggled momentarily to disentangle his legs from the blanket and rushed to the front of the house where the scream originated. He made it to the living room just as another scream rang through the air. He nearly tackled the blue-haired human believing him to be an intruder, but stopped before he pounced. The human was... _laughing?!_

Breathing heavily he looked to see that it was an overly ecstatic Pantera that he was laughing at, and Pan was hoping in joy over -Ulqui's eyes widened. _There's a tree in the living room!_

A heavily decorated one at that. Fluffy strands of sparkly purple and gold garland were wrapped about it along with more lights like the ones adorning the outside of the nest. Glass bulbs and bows clung to the tree's smaller branches as well as a few large spherical bells hanging by ribbons. At the very top sat a white cat with golden wings sprouting from its back; it was a very strange thing in Ulqui's mind. The furniture had also been moved around to accommodate the large decoration, allowing it to be set in the corner; the tv was against the window and the couch was across from it, it's back facing the rest of the house.

Grimm managed to contain his mirth at the kitten's joy and noticed Ulquiorra next to him. He reached over and gently pet his ears earning a content yet exasperated look from the neko as well as calming his rather heavy breathing. It took a moment, but the hunter figured out that Pan's screams had probably nearly given the poor mama-cat a heart attack. Afterall, the last time the little neko had ever screamed like that was when he'd gotten caught by Grimm in the forest.

Ulquiorra huffed and twitched his ears out of Grimm's grasp. He turned to head back to bed, as it was quite early, and heard Grimmjow follow him close behind. He paid him no mind until his shoulder was grabbed and he was swung around and captured in a hug. He tried to get away, but his arms were trapped between their bodies. Ulqui flattened his ears and hissed in warning.

The human didn't seem to care, his gaze fixed on something above them. He followed the intent stare and his heart felt like it sank; how did that kissing plant get up there? A smile slowly formed on Grimm's face and he looked back at the neko with a mischievous glint in his eye. Ulqui tried to pull out of the embrace once more, but the human's grip tightened.

He growled. "No..."

Grimm cocked his head. "'No' what?" He laughed. "Oh, do you know what that is, Ulqui? You must if you're reacting like this!" He surprised the neko by rubbing their noses together. "C'mon, Ulqui. Just a peck?"

The neko's chest vibrated in a silent growl making Grimm giggle; it tickled. Despite the hostility he closed his eyes and moved in for a kiss. He didn't receive a bite, instead was met with soft lips. He frowned when the kiss was not returned and cupped the back of Ulqui's head to press harder, urging him to kiss back. They stayed in that awkward position for a while before disappointment sank in and he pulled away but still maintained the tender hold. Grimm stared into Ulqui's eyes and saw only apprehension and confusion. He sighed sadly and moved to let go of the neko.

Ulquiorra felt the embrace loosen and gripped Grimm's shirt warranting a puzzled look from the bluenet. He pulled him down so their faces were close; their lips hovering over each other's as Ulqui acknowledged the butterflies fluttering madly in his belly as well as his shaking hands. The neko pushed the impeding feelings away and, his lips quivering, pressed his lips to Grimm's. Warmth went through him when Grimm held him again and returned his timid kiss. Ulqui realized he'd been holding his breath and gasped. "Mmh!?" he squeaked in surprise when Grimm's tongue plunged into his mouth and began to explore.

Grimmjow smiled against the neko's mouth when his tongue was greeted by Ulqui's shy one. He urged it into a light battled that he won easily and was rewarded when the warm mouth he was invading began to suck on it. He groaned in pleasure and reached down to grip the base of his black tail and knead it gently with his thumb.

Ulqui poked his rear out further, enjoying the massage. When Grimm finally pulled away, they were gasping and gazing into each other's eyes. _"Tvam... kamiyami...*" _His cheeks went red at the confession, and he diverted his eyes. A small part of him hoped the human hadn't understood him.

Grimmjow gripped his chin and made him meet his eyes once more. "I love you too."

Ulquiorra felt a strange wave wash over him. What was this he was feeling? Happiness? Relief? Most definitely a mixture of both feelings. A bubbly giggle slipped out of him before he could stop it. _"Tvam kamiyami," _he hazarded again, almost unable to believe the human had actually known what he'd said. After all he'd noticed that humans could say strange things in the heat of the moment.

"I love you too," the hunter echoed, his voice not faltering or hesitant.

He smiled. A real smile that made his cheeks wrinkle from the foreign tug of muscles. He repeated words a few more times and eventually Grimm laughed and kissed him again. A quick peck that merely ended his speaking. The human and he nuzzled passionately, a fervent rubbing of noses mostly, enjoying the thrill the confession caused in them. Eventually they calmed down and just stared at each other for a moment.

A huge grin cracked across Grimm's gob. "You're not going to hit me now, are you?" he teased.

Ulquiorra was too happy to be offended.

_Jingle _"Hee hee." _Jingle_

The adults woke from their emotion-induced trances, and looked to

Pantera. The kit was lying on his back by the edge of the tree, and batting at one of large bells hanging from it. He pulled on the bell and began to gnaw on it. He squeaked and then grumbled when it slipped off and he hit himself in his mouth. He sat up, hung the decoration up back on its branch and went back to playing with it.

_Jingle_ "Hee hee."_Jingle_

Grimm shook his head at the easily amused kitten and received a sleepy nuzzle against his neck from Ulqui. He startled the neko when he stooped down and caught his legs, putting him in a bridal carry. He walked over and settled on the plush cushions of the couch, putting Ulqui's rear in his lap and his head on the couch's arm, and gently stroked Ulquiorra's sleek tail as he slowly nodded off.

Ulqui couldn't remember a time when he'd felt so content and happy, nor a time when he could relax with a care. He felt Grimm's large hand on his tail and sighed as he felt himself going back to sleep.

Pantera looked away from his current attention grabber and smiled at his cuddling parental figures. His _matr _was lazing in Grimm-_pitr's _lap and he was gazing dreamily at his _matr's _face. "_Maaatrr?"_ he called.

Black ears perked to attention, and green eyes opened and looked at him.

_"Is Gimm-poppy your mate now?" _he asked, switching fully into his native language.

_"Yes, __Ksudra."_

_"So, Gimm-poppy is really really my poppy now?"_

_"Yes."_

_"And you're happy?"_

His _matr _grew a huge smile that surprised him. _"Very much so."_

Pan went over to plant a kiss on his _matr's _lips, smiling when he smelled Grimm's scent on them. Skilled fingers worked their way into his hair and scratched his ears. He leaned into the touch and look fondly up at the human who gripped his scruff and pulled him into the embrace.

"I'm not feeling up to leaving the house today," the bluenet told him, "but how bout tomorrow we go out somewhere?"

Pan screwed his face up in thought. "Cafe?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure, why not? You and Ulqui can get a peppermint milk tea or something." He leaned down and gave both nekos a kiss before slipping them off his lap. "I'm going to go do something in the back room now - no, you can't come," he tacked the last part on as Pan opened his mouth. "It's a secret, you have to stay up here, okay?"

Pan pouted, but had to obey. Grimmjow ruffled his hair and headed to the bedroom. Occasionally, looking back at the nekos, he transferred presents from within the box beneath the bed to the extra room where there would be more room to wrap them. The wrapping paper he had were matte solid colors of reds with greens and shiny patterns of silver and white. He wrapped each gift carefully, adding the name tags and large bows to each one. All in all the process took nearly two hours, and Ulquiorra was awake by the time he finished.

He received confused looks from both nekos as he exited the room with his arms burdened by the pretty boxes. Pan offered to help, but Grimm declined and carefully placed the presents under the tree, bigger boxes in the back and smaller ones in the front. Ulquiorra stared at them from the comfort of the couch but Pantera crawled right up to them and studied them earnestly.

"They're presents," Grimmjow explained. "You can open them on Christmas."

"When's that?" he asked, his multi-hued eyes still fixed on the boxes.

"About a week."

"Two days?" he asked; Grimm could already hear the excitement bubbling up.

"No, Pan. Seven. A **weekend** is two days."

His ears drooped. "Oh..." With a sigh he just went back to studying them. He squinted at the names written in black marker on the labels. "P-Pah-n-t-oh! That my name!" With a new goal in mind - finding out how many presents he'd be opening on Christmas - his disappointment melted away and he kept reading. "Ool-kwee? Oh, _matr. _Mine... mine... _matr_..."

Ulquiorra gazed fondly at his son and left the couch to follow Grimmjow into the kitchen. The human had begun cooking something up for them all, and he merely walked up behind him and leaned against his back. He'd always liked being near the human, but now that his feelings were known to the human he sought out his presence. When whatever Grimm was making was in the pan to cook he finally turned to give Ulqui a hug. They embraced until a smell aroused them from it, and Grimm cursed and turned to stop breakfast from burning.

"Gimm-_pitr_?" Pantera murmured as he entered. "Where your presents? There none under the tree."

Grimmjow shrugged. "I'm not really supposed to get myself a gift, Pan, since you're supposed give others gifts."

"So you won't open presents with us?"

"Eh, Starrk and Nnoi usually get me something. It's okay if they don't though."

Pan didn't like that. "But Gimm-_pitr _is a good _pitr_! Gimm-_pitr_ deserves a present!" He ran off and they heard his muffled cry from the depths of the basement. "I'm gonna make Gimm_-pitr_ a present! _Matr_ too! Don't come down here!"

The adults merely shook their heads.

x~x

A familiar smell reached his nose, telling him of a bodily change, and rousing him from his sleep. In a sleep heavy stupor, Ulqui stumbled, his eyes half-lidded, to the bathroom. He didn't bother with the light, his eyes open now to adjust to the darkness engulfing him, and pulled a pad from the cabinet below the sink. It made the familiar _schtik _sound as he pulled the protective plastics from the adhesive strips and pressed it to the inside of his still clean briefs. He fixed his night pants, having changed earlier in the day because his kimono was in need of a wash, and headed back to bed.

He wandered over to Grimm's side of the bed, relieved that the prior dread and fear didn't plague him as he looked over the human. His human. His alpha. He wasn't his mate quite yet, as they hadn't bonded in body yet, but he was pretty damn close. His eyes smiling, he went back to his side of the bed and went back to sleep.

x~x

The weather was less bitter the next day. A little after noon, the temperature had went up a little allowing for the lighter snow to melt, and there was no wind , but they all wore scarves anyway. The traffic was terrible from people getting last minute gifts and such. That reminded him.

"Do you need help wrapping the presents you made Pan? I can help you with Ulqui's," Grimmjow suggested.

The neko made a disappointed moan. "There's nothing good to make stuff outta down there..."

"Really? Oh, well..." Grimm thought for a moment. "Would you like to go shopping for gifts? You can even get stuff for Starrk and Nnoi. Toshiro too. Just small stuff though, I blew a lot of money on the decorations and you guys' presents. I splurged because I wanted to make you guys' first Christmas special."

That made Pantera happy and he agreed to going late Christmas shopping before going to the cafe. Getting caught in horrible traffic along the way, they headed to a strip mall he figured would be less populated, and as it turned out it mostly was, as it was filled with mom 'n' pop style stores and a thrift store. They went to the thrift store first. Grimm hung out by the front with the man at the counter while the nekos went and shopped.

Pantera ran down the aisles of random clothes, knickknacks, and a variety of other things. He wasn't going to get his mother anything yet, what with him being right behind him, looking over the selections as well. They made it to a rack of clothes and started browsing through. He found a shirt with a nice crazy-looking design on it that he'd thought would look nice on his human father, but realized a problem: he wasn't sure of Grimm's size.

"_Matr? Will this fit _Gimm-_pitr_?"

The shirt was taken from him and Ulqui looked at the white paper on the inside. "_Yes_."

_"How do you know his size?"_

His mother shook his head at him. _"Who do you think washes most of the clothes, Ksudra?"_

"Oh!" He laughed, placed the shirt in the basket Ulqui carried, and continued shopping.

He found a colorful and fragile figurine of a little girl in frilly clothes looking over little sheep for Starrk, for Nnoi he found a really cool book that had fighting poses in it, and with the help of a worker there he was able to find a puzzle that had all its pieces for Toshiro. Pan watched his _matr _look over some things and picked out a dark green with red and black plaid hat that had flaps on the side to fasten under his chin, and no top. _Oh it's just to cover ears! _the kit realized. They headed back to the front and were surprised to see Grimm standing there with a bag he hadn't had before. He explained when he noticed their questioning looks.

"I ran over to the dollar store next door and grabbed some boxes."

Ulqui placed the basket of items on the counter, ad waited while the baby neko dragged Grimm off to find another present, one for Ulqui.

It took a while. None of the items Pan found seemed to be good enough, or looked like something his mother would like. Grimm called his attention to a little one strap bag. It was small and made from a soft cloth of a pretty floral pattern; he could tell it'd been well loved before it ended up in the thrift store. _Yeah, matr would definitely like this!_ He hugged the bag and prepared to head back to the counter when something caught his eye. It was a book and on the cover was a picture of a woman using sticks to weave string together and attached to it was the very sticks the woman was using.

"You should get that too," Grimm suggested. "I think he'd like to knit, or at least have something to occupy his time when he's at home."

"Then... both?"

"Yeah, you can get him both."

They returned to the counter for a second time where the other items had been rung up, and the man had been nice enough to box them up with the boxes Grimm bought. Pan made his mother cover his eyes while his gifts were rung up and boxed as well. It all came up to a low and wonderful $57.06. They piled the boxes into the backseat with Pan and headed to the cafe.

It was a family friendly cafe, nothing like the popular chain coffee shops like Starbucks or Caribou. Along with the usual chairs and tables there were cushy sofas to sit on, and shag carpeting on the floor. The dark shag carpeting was for kids to sit on, having low tables on it for them to place their drinks while they played with the blocks and wooden puzzles provided. The theme was rich shades of browns, purples, and reds and amazingly the green garland and white lights hanging about looked nice with it.

"Coffee, please. Black with three pumps of caramel syrup," Grimm ordered before looking to Pan.

"Punkin spice milk!" he cried.

The woman at the counter smiled, remembering him from their visit earlier in the year. "Sorry sweetie, we only have that for Halloween."

"Oh... then pe... pa... mint milk?" The woman nodded and then all looked to Ulquiorra.

Ulqui just shrugged, it was the first time he'd ever been to such a place and he was unsure of what to get. "Water."

Grimm sighed. "Mint tea with cream and honey." He looked to the neko. "Trust me, you like it."

Drinks in hand they went to a set of chairs nearest the kid's play area, and Pantera put his boots in a cubby hole before going to sit at the low table.

The cafe buzzed with light activity of other customers, most of which were college students who didn't go home for the holidays and lonely regulars. They stayed well after they'd finished their drinks, and just soaked in the relaxing atmosphere. Ulqui was resting his eyes, though his ears tilted towards every little noise, Pantera played happily with the blocks, and Grimm idly stroked Ulqui's tail with his mind somewhere off in the clouds. Eventually, however, it had to end and Grimm noticed the time.

"Wow! It's nearly 7; we've been out for five hours." He shoved his phone in his pocket, and lurched of the sofa and stretched. "C'mon you two, let's head to the truck."

Ulquiorra lifted to his feet with ease and gathered their trash to throw away while Grimmjow went over and helped Pan get back into his boots. The woman at the register bid them farewell as they exited.

It'd gotten much colder, and a biting wind went through their coats. The little neko hugged himself, and took a short cut through the deep snow to the truck as soon a Grimm pressed the button to unlock it.

Ulqui suddenly felt his foot move from under him. "Ah!"

Grimm reacted swiftly, grasping the falling neko's upper arm with a bruising grip. The neko's sudden descent stopped and he was slowly lifted into his former vertical pose. "Careful! Ice formed because some snow melted earlier." Grimm wrapped an arm securely around Ulqui's waist and guided him to the truck. He waited until Ulqui was seated in the passenger seat before leaving his side to get behind the wheel, and drive off.

They made it home and they began transferring gifts from the truck to the house. Grimm grabbed the last one and headed for the house.

Pan sat in the extra room and carefully opened the boxes to see what present was what so he could mark the boxes. P for Grimm, S for Starrk, and so on. He looked over his shoulder as his mother set some more boxes behind him._ "Dhanyavada*, matr."_

"You're welcome, _Ksudra_."

"Argh-unf!"

Two pairs of ears perked up at the startling cry, and Ulquiorra rushed away to see what was wrong. He looked outside and his ears flattened with worry when he saw Grimm laid out on the ground, groaning and cursing in pain. He rushed over and kneeled next to the human. A tinny smell tickled his nose and he gently reached a hand behind Grimm's head. _Blood?! _"Grimmjow?"

Grimm sighed, hearing the worry in Ulqui's voice. "I slipped and hit my head. Shit, everything's blurry..." He tried to get his phone from his pocket, but the neko beat him to it. The screen was blurry and a bit too bright as he brought it to his face and dialed.

"911, what is your emergency?"

The bluenet cleared his throat. His words were slurring as he mumbled, "I slipped... and hit my head outside. I... I think my head's bleeding too." When prompted he slowly rattled off his name and address to the operator.

"An ambulance is on its way. Now, is there anyone with you, sir?"

"Yes."

"Might I speak with them?"

Grimm handed the phone over to Ulqui and let his hand fall. The neko had to angle his ear down to hear the person on the other side. "Y-Yes..?"

"Hello, could you tell me your name?"

He couldn't help the difficulty he was having, speaking with the foreign man on the other side. "Nrh- Ulquiorra..." he stumbled when he realized he was saying his old name.

"Okay Mr. Ulquiorra, I going to need you to do a few things until the ambulance gets there. Firstly, make sure Mr. Jaegerjaquez doesn't fall asleep..."

Ulqui looked over to the human and saw that his eyes were still open, but not widely so. He placed a hand on Grimm's chest and a smile formed on the hurt human as he reached up and cupped Ulqui's cheek. "It's okay, don't worry," he murmured soothingly before dropping his hand in favor of gripping Ulqui's and rubbing it slowly. "Your hand is cold," he noticed idly.

"... Second, do not attempt to move him, but try to keep him warm, and finally, just talk to him. It'll keep him awake and calm. Would you like for me to stay on the line until the ambulance arrives?"

Ulqui shook his head without thinking, and it wasn't until the operator called out for him that he muttered, "N-No..." and hung up. He stared at Grimm, growing worried as the bluenet's hand slowed its gentle rubbing. Unable to form words to speak to him like he'd been instructed, he urged Grimm to keep rubbing his hand with a gentle nudge.

Grimm managed a small smile. "You're supposed to comfort me, not the other way around," he slurred.

"I...I-"

He was shushed. "I'm only teasing yah; I'm sorry."

That reassured the neko, but only slightly so; if the human could make jokes then it couldn't have been too serious.

A loud shriek filled the air and grew louder as it neared making Ulqui flatten his ears in pain. Bright flashing lights accompanied the blaring noise and it stopped in front of them. Men climbed out and wheeled out a bed with straps that was lowered next to Grimm along with a board. Ulqui was directed to get away from them while they spoke to Grimm and attached him to the board. On the count of three, they lifted the board onto the bed and secured him to that. The neko watched, ears flattened and tail limp with worry, as they wheeled him towards the back of the ambulance.

"Go inside, Ulqui," Grimm called before he was lifted inside and the doors closed.

"_Matr..?"_

Ulqui gasped and turned seeing the little neko standing in the doorway. His eyes followed the ambulance as it drove off before returning to his mother.

"Where they take Gimm-_pitr_? Is he okay?"

Ulqui trumped up the stairs and shooed the kit up inside as he entered the house without a word. He pulled his winter gear off before scooping Pantera up and settling on the couch in front of the darkened tree. He stared at it, part of him wanting to turn it on and bask in the warm glow but now that he was sitting he was rooted in his seat.

"_Matr?_ Will Gimm-_pitr_ be okay?"

Ulqui frowned and buried his nose into the kit's hair, not providing an answer; he'd never lied to his kit before and he wouldn't now. He couldn't answer when he did not know...

x~x

Sometime during the night, Ulqui managed to find the will lift himself from the couch. Pan was asleep in his lap and moaned grumpily as he was set to the side. Trying to take his mind off things he wandered to the tree and plugged in the lights. The warm lights and the piney smell calmed him as he expected it to.

_Knok knok knok!_

He flinched and rose to his feet. Head cocked and tail twitching in anticipation, he wandered to the front door and opened it; it was Nnoitorra.

"Hey, Ulqui. The hospital let Grimm call me, and he wanted me to check on you..." Nnoitorra said, his voice was softer than his usual brash, joking tone and his working eye was clear of friendly mockery. "Um... can I come in?"

Ulquiorra moved out of the male's way and watched as he stepped out of his boots and pulled off his coat. "Are you hungry? They said that you probably hadn't eaten dinner." He put up a hand when the neko opened his mouth. "On second thought, don't answer. I'm going to make you a sandwich either way." He headed towards the kitchen. "Where's the kit? I'll make him one too."

At that the mama-cat looked to his son who was still fast asleep. After some thought he picked the inert kitten up and headed to the back to change both Pan and himself into their night-clothes. Nnoi was setting two plates on the table as they returned. Pantera rubbed his eyes and murmured, "Hi, _ekanetra*_" as he entered.

"Whoa, I have no clue what you just said, kitten."

Pantera put his hand over one of his eyes. "_Ekanetra._"

Nnoi made a face of mock insult. "Oh, you makin fun of me, huh?" He snatched the neko off his feet and play fought him in his arms, throwing light punches and pokes to the smaller body. The kit squealed and fought back with light hits of his own before giving up by throwing his arms around the tall man's neck. "Hey," Nnoi murmured, happiness laced the word. "You're hugging me!"

Pantera let go liked he'd been hugging fire. "No, I'm not," he claimed and tried to hop out of Nnoi's arms.

Nnoitorra held fast, bringing the kit into a snuggle. "Yes you were, you totally were! I knew you liked me; no one can resist my charms."

Pantera giggled and snuggled back.

Ulqui fought back the tense feeling he was getting from being around Nnoi without Grimm around. He had to remind himself that he was with humans now, and human alphas don't attempt to take betas for themselves when the beta's real alpha is incapacitated. He and Pantera were safe with this brazen and playful human.

They settled down to eat their light, late meals and Nnoi went to raid the fridge for himself. "Hm? What's this." He came out of the fridge holding a box that had _**Don't**_**_ Touch_!** written on the lid.

"Gimm-_pitr _said not to touch that," Pan piped up.

"Well that was obviously for you guys," he said. "If this was for me then the warning would be more... colorful." Nnoi chuckled, and flipped open the lid. His expression went from curious to puzzled to confused to enlightened in the space of a minute. He nodded and put the box away, closing the fridge after retrieving a bottle of beer.

"You spending the night, _Ekanetra_?"

Nnoitorra sat on the back of the couch and took a swig of beer. "Yeah, Blue wanted me to look after you, and I don't intend on half-as -er- half doing it," he told him, catching the minor slip.

Pan hadn't even noticed. "Where will you sleep?"

"The couch." He drunk some more and pointed at Ulqui. "Now you look like you have a question."

Ulqui's ears flattened in embarrassment; had he really been so obvious? "Uh... um..."

"C'mon, don't be shy. You're more likely to bite than I am," he chided.

"How did you get here? I was... distracted, but I still should've heard you come."

"I have a car as well as a bike for safety's sake. I'm not dumb enough to ride around in this weather on a motorcycle. But that's not really what you wanted to ask, was it?" he pointed out, his voice serious. "You're worried about Blue." He waved his hand in an uncaring manner. "He'll be fine."

"How can you be so sure?" Ulqui said a bit faster than he'd have wanted.

"He's suffered worse." He started counting off on his fingers. "He's stepped in a bear trap and broken his leg; he's gotten attacked by stray dogs, he hates dogs because of that; he's fallen out of trees and offa roofs and broke stuff; he's even gotten electrocuted once. _**Slipping on**** ice**_ will be the last thing to kill that guy!"

Both nekos' eyes were wide at the list of injuries their caretaker had supposedly taken over the years. Ulquiorra's ears flattened remembering when he was a kit himself and his father had gotten snared in a bear trap; the male had nearly lost his leg to infection.

"Ith Gi-mi'r tha stron?" Pan asked, his words jumbled by the large bite of sandwich in his mouth. He flinched at the glare his mother sent him and swallowed the bite. "Sorry."

"Sure, Grimm's real strong! Nothing short of a poisoned blade will kill that guy!"

Ulqui was unamused by the exaggeration, but his kit had gone moony-eyed.

"You done with you sandwich?" Nnoi asked.

"Yah!"

"Good, then time for bed."

"Aaaww!" Pantera groaned.

Nnoi set the nearly empty bottle to the side and went to pick the kit up. "Don't 'aw' me, Grimm said you had to be in bed by ten and it's nearly eleven. Time for bed." With Pan on his hip he headed towards the back. "You finish your sandwich and go to bed too; sleep the stress off yah know?"

Ulqui nodded. _I guess that would be best..._

Nnoitorra returned, finished off his beer and settled on the couch as the adult neko finished his meal and finally head towards the bedroom.

"Night, Ulqui."

"... Goodnight..."

x~x

"_Matr, Ekanetra'_s gone..."

The mother's eyebrows came together and he wandered away from the breakfast he'd been cooking to the couch to find that the lanky man was indeed gone. "Huh..." He wondered when he could've possibly left. He flinched when he heard heavy footsteps on the porch. The lock's tumblers clattered as a key turned and the door swung open.

"Grimmjow!"

The bluenet was leaning slightly on Nnoitorra as they entered the house. He mumbled a weak greeting and was guided to the couch where he sat down heavily. Nnoi caught the excited kit as he ran up to pounce on his father.

"Whoa whoa whoa, no jumping on the wounded man, kit. The meds wore off on the way here, so he's feeling everything." Nnoi warned.

Pan nodded and instead kneeled down to carefully pry the man's boots off.

"_Dhanyavada, _Pan," Grimm murmured and the kit beamed at him. He lifted a hand to Ulqui, beckoning him over. "C'mere, I need a hug..."

Ulqui was more than happy to oblige him. He walked around the couch and sat next to him, carefully wrapping his arms around his torso in an embrace. Grimm hugged him back with one arm and closed his eyes with a sigh.

"Yeah I needed this." The hunter looked on the verge of falling asleep and remembering what the operator had said only a few hours ago Ulqui urged him to stay awake with a gentle shake. "Wha-? Something wrong?"

"Don't fall asleep..."

"Why?"

"The male on the phone said so..."

Grimm let out a breathy chuckle. "I don't think that matters anymore." He tightened the hug so Ulqui was brought close enough for Grimm to kiss him. "Thanks for worrying though."

"He-Hey!" Nnoi laughed. "You two finally together? Awesome, my present makes more sense now!"

The new couple shot him a suspicious look. "What present?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, you'll just have to find out on Christmas."

"Is this your way of inviting yourself over for Christmas?"

"Maybe...?"

Grimm laughed and shook his head. "Starrk may as well come too then. Oh, and can you help Pan wrap his presents? I would, but..." the last part was left unsaid.

"Ooo, presents? Didja get one for me, kitten?"

"Uh huh!"

"Better hide it or I'll peek; I'm naughty like that!"

Pantera gasped and darted off to the back room screaming, "NOOO!" with Nnoi following slowly behind him.

Grimm laughed again and let his head rest on the back of the couch, smiling as his boyfriend -girlfriend?- snuggled closer. "I love you..."

Ulqui let another genuine smile slip. "Me too..."

"Hey... is something burning?"

Ulqui shot out of his seat and ran to the kitchen. _How did I get so distracted!?_

* * *

Whoo hoo! Done! It's weird writing a Christmas chapter 4 months before hand... maybe I just reeeeally want it to be Christmas XD.

_Anyway,**I sorta need you guys' help. **_You all know the presents Pan is giving, and I have the presents Grimm is giving and one present Nnoi is giving planned, but I can't think of anything _**Starrk** _or _**Toshiro **_would give, and also the rest of _**Nnoi's**_ TT_TT I'm really stuck... any suggestions?

**_Dictionary:_**

_Dhanyavada: _Thank you

_Ekanetra: _one-eyed

_Evam: _Really

_Ksudra: _Tiny/ Runt

_Na kimapi: _Nothing

_Nrhan: _Green (Ulqui's former name, for those who may have forgotten.)

_Matr: _Mother/Mommy

_Pitr__: _Father/Poppy

_Tvam kamiyami:_ I love you


	7. VI: Gifts

I have a **poll** up on my profile that I would greatly appreciate you **voting** on! Please, and thank you!

* * *

More snow had fallen and more was scheduled until New Years. The headaches waned but were all but gone, but on the bright side it was nearly Christmas. The hunter lazed on the couch as Starrk and Nnoi arrived for the get together, their faces and bodies hidden by hats pulled down low, scarves pulled high, and thick gloves and coats. With only them, himself, Ulqui and Pan, the get together was small, but they would still call it a party.

With two more chefs there, they set up the feast for the following day, teaching Ulqui new recipes in the process. A turkey was rubbed with seasonings and shoved in a large bag of savoury juices to marinate overnight in the fridge, potato salad joined the large fowl, along with deviled eggs, and unbaked pies. More and more smells wafted from the small, cozy kitchen, beckoning for all to have a taste or two. Pantera whined each time he was chased out of the delightful smelling kitchen and eventually, grumpy, joined Grimm on the couch.

Occasionally, someone came with a bit of food on a spoon and had Grimm and Pan taste it to see if they liked it. Pan liked everything while Grimm gave advice and suggested spices or simply flavors.

Preparations made for the Christmas feast, Starrk left the kitchen and konked out on the chair while Ulqui and Nnoi made dinner.

Grimm gazed at the tree, taking in its warm glow and the presents nestled underneath. His friends had brought over their gifts for Grimm's little family. The kit had already gone through and found what was his, what was his mothers, and the few for Grimm and had went back to playfully batting the large bell he'd taken a liking to.

All bodies, except Starrk's, flinched when the doorbell rang and Pan went to answer it, leaping up with his cat strength and skill to turn to the deadlock and then twisting the doorknob.

_~We wish you a Merry Christmas  
We wish you a Merry Christmas  
We wish you a Merry Christmas  
And a Happy New Year!~_

"Are those carollers?" Nnoi asked as he left the kitchen, wiping his hands off with a towel. Grimm lurched to his feet and went to the door as well.

_~Good tidings we bring,  
For you and your kin._  
_Good tidings for Christmas,_  
_And a Happy New Year!~_

Grimm felt Ulquiorra come up beside him and grip his sweater nervously. He gently pet the cat's head when he hissed quietly. "There, there. They're wishing us well." After that they just listened as the carollers continued to sing, and Grimm soon recognized them as the family from up the street. Yeah, Mr. Kyotake and his wife and three kids, all bundled up and rosy-cheeked from a long, cold, day of singing to neighbors.

The song ended and the three humans in the house clapped with the nekos soon following suit. The Kyotakes laughed and bowed to them.

"Cookies and eggnog?" Grimm offered; they'd demanded figgy pudding after all.

The three kids, a girl of eight years, and two boys, twins, of 13 years, gasped collectively and looked to their parents who smiled and nodded. They came into the house, and Grimm shut the door behind them before heading back to his spot on the couch. They pulled off their boots and coats as Nnoi and Ulqui went to the kitchen to grab the plate of festive sugar cookies and pour eggnog into glasses. The wife, Jushiro, made their youngest sit as she sipped her drink, fearing she'd spill it. Pan settled next to her with his own drink and smiled welcomingly at her.

"Not too many cookies, or you'll spoil your dinner," Jushiro warned.

"Yes, ma'am," their children chorused.

Grimm shook hands with the husband, Shunsui, who sat next to him and Ulqui on the couch. "Nice to meet you again, sir."

Shunsui laughed. "If you met me before, then you should know to drop the 'sir'. I'm not that old! I can still get with the ladies."

"I surely hope by 'ladies' you mean myself and Katen," Jushiro said curtly, though mirth could be heard in the tone.

"Of course, of course," he assured and sipped his nog. He held his hand out to Ulqui who was on the other side of Grimm. "But I have to ask: 'Who's this lovely lady?'" Ulqui shakily gave the brown-haired human his hand and stiffened when it was kissed. Shunsui's eyebrows lifted when he noticed the claws and then looked up to see his ears. "A neko?"

"Yeah," Grimm scratched those dark, soft ears. "And Ulqui's wild-born, so be careful around Pan; Ulqui might get protective." The kit in question was showing off Putrika to Katen, and the little girl was very impressed that Grimm had let him get a "glass doll" as she called it.

Jushiro squinted in a confused manner. "But I thought wild nekos were quite protective of their fairer folk?"

"From what Ulqui told me, they are." Grimm took a moment to explain Ulquiorra and Pantera's situation, as well as Ulqui's gender, and the relationships the nekos and he had developed.

Shunsui nodded as he scratched his chin. "Then it was fate that brought you together! I wish you many happy years together as well as many healthy neko babies!"

Ulqui's face reddened and he hid it in Grimm's side, earning a few "aw's". They carried on a little too much, and the mother cat eventually abandoned Grimm's side to return to the kitchen where Nnoi was still cooking. They shared a chuckle at his hasty retreat.

"Who's this guy by the way?" Shunsui asked, indicating Starrk who hadn't moved the entire time.

"Oh, that's Starrk. Excuse him, he has narcolepsy."

"Starrk as in Sleepy Coyote Starrk?"

"Yeah you know him?"

Shunsui smiled and reached over to tap the man on the leg, slowly waking him up. "Yo Starrk!"

Starrk opened his storm gray eyes, and smiled when they landed on his awakener. "Shunsui!" Both men stood, laughing jovially, and embraced each other for a moment. "I haven't seen you since high school!" Starrk said as he reseated himself. "How have you been?"

"Meet my lovely wife Jushiro, and my three kids are around here somewhere," Shunsui said as his answer, and the ashen-haired woman waved shyly. "And I see your still falling asleep at every moment."

"I have a condition," the master chef sniffed. "I wouldn't have thought a playboy like you would settle down."

Shunsui laughed. "My lovely lady had just the right bait and net to catch my heart."

"Yet I still have a hard time keeping him from flirting..." Jushiro said with a little note of exasperation hinting in her voice.

The adults continued to chat, sharing laughs and stories while the boys, who were named Nami and Rakurai, sat semi quietly, listening in on the conversation and calling out their father on his lies or cover ups much to his dismay. When it was decided that they should leave, and Jushiro had remembered about the stew simmering in the crock pot at home, they realized that Katen and Pantera had run off and disappeared somewhere. Before anyone could worry or go searching for them, Ulqui pointed out, to Grimmjow, that they'd wandered towards the back room. There they discovered the cute scene of them both napping on the bed.

Katen was awakened and helped into her outer clothes. Goodbyes were said and soon only the small gathering was left in the house once more... and dinner was done.

Plates were set at the table before Ulqui finally went to get his son and perched him on his lap to eat, as there were only four chairs at the table. The small pot roast was cut and served with potatoes and carrots that'd cooked along with it in the oven, and all ate in comfortable silence.

It was only eight when they finished, and Grimm took up the task of washing the dishes while the rest sat down to watch a late Christmas special. Pantera watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with a curious head cock and nothing more. It seemed the little guy was only entertained by educational shows, crazy and illogical shows - and boy was a flying red-nosed reindeer illogical and crazy - just didn't do it for him.

Ten hit and Nnoi pulled the pull-out bed from the couch, boggling the nekos' minds. Starrk gathered his night-clothes and went to shower, as he was in danger of drowning from falling asleep during baths, and when he returned he immediately laid down. Pan giggled at the neurotic man and messed with him for a bit before Grimm had mercy on the unconscious man, and pulled his adoptive son away. Nnoi didn't worry about showering and stole the bedroom to change.

"Time for bed, Pantera," Grimm said.

"But I not sleepy..."

Grimm convinced the kitten to go to bed, by telling him that he'd be able to open his presents quicker, because sleeping made time go faster. That made sense to Pan and he allowed himself to be carried away to bed.

"Good night everyone."

x~x

Grimm exhaled through his nose and opened his eyes, instantly seeing Pantera's dim silhouette sitting up in bed next to him. He smiled at him and gently called his name, earning his attention as well as a hug around the neck and a kiss on the cheek. "There s'nother tradition I forgot tah tell yah about," he murmured, his voice slurred by sleep. Pan's ears perked and he continued. "On the morning o' Christmas, little kids like you run an' jump on their parents' beds screaming 'It's Christmas' to wake them up. I'm already awake, but those two guys on the couch bed 're still asleep.

Pantera gasped and scuttled over Grimmjow and off the bed.

The bluenet chuckled and shook Ulquiorra awake just as he heard:

"Argh!"

"Christmas! It's Christmas! Yaay!"

Grimm chuckled mischievously as he entered the room with an arm around Ulqui's waist, guiding the sleepy neko. The two men were awake and Pan was urging them to fold up the bed before sitting in front of the tree, sending his parents a pleading gaze over his shoulder. Grimm and Ulqui settled on the couch, while Starrk took the chair as usual, and Nnoi sat on the floor against the wall. The hunter gave Pan the okay to start unwrapping his gifts, and a gleeful squeal went through the air.

Pantera gazed at the colorfully wrapped gifts almost hungrily and searched through them for one that was his, handing out ones that weren't his own. He'd handed a present to everyone by the time he'd finally found a nice sized one of his own, and ripped it open, opened the box, and revealed a male porcelain doll much like Putrika. His hair was dirty blond with green fuzzy earmuffs covering his ears, his eyes were hazel, and a light dusting of freckles was on his fair nose and rosy cheeks. He was dressed in a green and silver edged coat, black boots were worn with his brown pants tucked in them, and black gloves covered his unmoving hands. Pan squealed again and hugged him. "_Kumbara*!"_

Nnoi was in the process of opening his own gift when he spoke. "That his name? What does it mean?"

"Boy!" the neko tot declared proudly.

"You guys just live for overly simple names," he huffed as he shook his head. "Oh, a martial arts book. Sweet, thanks kit."

Pan beamed happily and went to open another of his gifts.

"Hm?" Ulqui grunted as he opened his larger present and pulled out his gift. It seemed to expanded the moment it was half freed from its box, dwarfing its container by revealing that it was at least three times its height.

"That's a big as-" Nnoi caught his curse and looked guiltily at Pan who hadn't noticed it. "-er, a really big pillow..."

"Starrk, explain your gift," Grimm murmured remembering that it was the slumbering man who had brought that particular present.

The pastry chef hadn't even bothered to open his eyes, his own present still wrapped and sitting in his lap. "It's an extra extra large dog pillow; the kind made for irish wolfhounds, great danes, and the like. Memory foam beads inside a tear resistant plaid material, should be very comfortable." He yawned. "There's a matching microfiber blanket in the box too."

Ulqui looked back in the box and pulled out said blanket. At Grimm's encouragement, Ulqui climbed onto the bed, kneaded it a bit and laid down. A purr escaped him before he could mask it. Thankfully no one called him out on the slip.

Pan sat next to his mother as he unwrapped another gift to find clothes, same as the last box, and the one before - he hadn't been paying _that_ much attention to his mother's unwrapping - though these were decidedly for late spring and early summer whereas the last ones were made for the last few months of winter and early spring. The first box had held doll clothes for both Putrika and Kumbara.

Nnoi suddenly burst out in laughter. "An eyepatch made out of a tie! I never knew you had such a sense of humor in you, Starrk," he praised as he turned his head away to remove his plain eyepatch in favour of the new one.

"I had the idea, but Grimm made it," Starrk said simply, a little more awake and gingerly opening his gift.

"Thank you too, Blue."

Grimm smiled at the lanky brunet and gently kicked Ulqui who was just within reach. "Don't just lay there, there are more presents for you to unwrap."

The neko grumbled sleepily and took the four thinner boxes his son was pushing towards him. He tore the wrapping paper off all four before he even thought to actually open a box. His eyes widened and he carefully pulled a thick kimono from the box. It was white and faded into blue at the hems with silver snowflakes dusting the blue areas. A gray obi accompanied it. _So... pretty... _He brought it to his face and inhaled its fresh scent as he embraced it and looked over his shoulder at his _sayuj _who sent him a cocky yet warm grin.

"Go ahead and open the rest of them."

Eagerness in his emerald eyes, he did just that, tearing away the flimsy cardboard lids to reveal three more kimonos. The first appeared to be for the upcoming spring. It was a thinner pastel yellow color with a floral pattern and green obi. The next was an orange summer yukata with a red pin wheel pattern and a red and white obi. The last one was for autumn, a thick burgundy kimono with the shape of yellow fan-shaped ginkgo leaves decorating it, and an orange obi to go with it. He looked to Grimmjow once more. _I want to kiss him._

As if he'd read the nekos mind, the bluenet held out his arms, and Ulquiorra dropped the garments and scrambled into his lap to embrace him. Ulqui kissed and nipped at his lips affectionately before burrowing his face into his thickly corded neck and purring. "_...mm-rOW!"_

Eyebrows shot into hairlines (except Pan's, he was struggling with the overly taped, multi-wrapped - seven layers at least - monstrosity of a gift Nnoi had given him). That was the first time anyone had probably heard the neko... meow. It wasn't even the sound of a human trying out the feline language either, but a true-blue cat's meow. Grimm merely hugged him a bit tighter and drew the neko into another more passionate kiss before ending in a cuddle. Ulqui nuzzled him one last time before abandoning him in favour of the cushy pillow and more gifts.

Pan had finally managed to open the gift and was holding up a strange toy. "Ekanetra, what this?"

"Ah, you finally opened it!" Nnoi murmured as he crawled over. He plucked it from the kitten's hands and slammed it against the wall, startling everyone. He removed his hand at it stayed on the wall. "There you go. Have fun."

"A cat toy? Really, Nnoi? Really?" Grimm groaned.

"What? Starrk got Ulqui a dog bed and you don't seem to have a problem with it!"

"A large pillow is a little less demeaning than a wall toy with feathers and a fake mouse..."

_Jingle!_

"You forgot the bell."

Pan was on all fours under where the toy was situated. He reached up and gently batted at the mouse that dangled from a long and thin spring, earning another light and ear-pleasing jingle. "Tee hee."

Grimm shook his head. "One minute they're more human than cat, and the next they're more cat than human..."

Starrk smirked at that as he studied the Little Bo Peep figurine he'd received from Pantera.

"Gimm-_pitr? _Are you going to open yours?" Pan asked, indicating the two presents sitting on the couch next to the man.

Grimm murmured a soft, "oh" and pulled them into his lap. He shredded the first and pulled out another wrapped present. He hung his head as Nnoi snickered; he'd forgotten that he had Nnoi help the kit with wrapping. He finally got through the wrappings to the actual box, thankfully there had only been three layers and not too much tape, and opened it. The gift was a long-sleeved shirt. It was tye-dye though the only colors used were blues, grays, and black, and in its center was a black silhouette of a cat with the words, "One Cat Short of Crazy" on it.

"WAHAHAHAHAHA! You got him that Pan?!" He leaned forward with his hand in the air for a high-five. "Good job, buddy!"

Pantera received the gesture though he was completely lost as to what the joke was. It was a just shirt with a crazy pattern and a cat on it right? He was only able to read "One Cat..." so the joke had been completely unintentional.

Grimm rolled his eyes and draped the shirt over his chest so that the funny saying could still be seen as he opened the next gift and pulled out the winter hat from Ulqui. It was a trapper hat that was missing its top. He pulled it on and his perfectly bedheaded curls were unobscured as intended, with a headband like strip of hat across his forehead and ear flaps dangling from the sides. "Now _this_ is a hat that I can wear!"

Starrk sighed happily at the silver crescent moon nightlight he got from Grimmjow. He set it next to the figurine and leaned forward to take the next present being offered to it. The messy wrapping Nnoi was known for aided his speed, and he pulled out a wolf shaped pillow pet. He opened it so that it was in its pillow form and put it behind his head.

The hunter scoffed as he opened the premade gift box. "A one hundred-dollar Lowe's gift card. Thanks, Starrk. I'll put it with the one you got me for my birthday, and the one you got for me last Christmas."

Starrk smiled. "You will make me a rocking chair if it's the last thing you do."

"I really shouldn't have told you about my family's carpentry business."

"No, you shouldn't have."

"Ooo! Thanks, sleepy man!" Pantera thanked, holding up the small wooden closet that he could put his dolls' clothes in.

"You're welcome." Starrk frowned. "Why does Nnoi get the cool nickname? Can't have one too?"

Pantera chewed his bottom lip as he thought. "Hm... _Nidralu*_?"

"That means 'sleep' or 'sleepy' doesn't it?"

"Yah."

Starrk smiled as he shook his head. "Anything else?"

"Hm... hm... _Accha*."_

"Gesundheit," Nnoi murmured as he quietly flipped through the martial arts books.

"No! It mean bear! Grr!" Pan cried happily.

The gray eyed man nodded. "Not bad. I like it, Pan, thank you."

It was winding down around the time Ulquiorra had opened the gifts from his son, the floral bag, which he loved dearly, and the knitting book and needles, and there were two gifts left, one for the bluenet and the other for the mama-cat. Both from Nnoi. The lanky man smirked and threw a present to Grimm who begrudgingly caught it and opened it.

"Edible cherry flavored lube and a pack of Trojan condoms... have I mentioned how much of a prick you are?" Nnoi cackled at him when he realized something. "How the heck do you know my size?!"

Starrk trembled slightly with laughter.

Nnoi sobered and cleared his throat. "You're really funny when you're drunk... pssh kya-HAHA!" He grabbed the box meant for Ulqui and the neko himself and headed for the back.

"Ay! Where're you going with my girl?"

"Pipe down we'll be right back!" He called back and slammed the door to the extra room. Grimm was busy trying to keep the curious kitten away from the adult products when they returned and Nnoi cleared his throat to draw their attention.

Grimm's jaw dropped.

Ulquiorra stood beside the man with a slightly confused look on his face... and wearing black lingerie. The top was made from a sheer material with a tube top piece that hid his bosom - or lack thereof - and nothing more. A white frilled ultra miniskirt hugged his hips, flattering his small backside and the gentle curves given to him by his partially female body. A collar of faux white fur covered his state required one. Black and white striped thigh-highs covered his legs, and tufts of black fur encircled his wrists.

"Ooo! _Matr caru*!_"

Nnoi gently nudged the neko. "C'mon; say it."

A blush took over his cheeks and with hesitation he cocked a hip, touched a knuckle to his lip and gave Grimm a sideways glance. "How do I look, _Grimm_?" he asked in a seductive purr.

Even Starrk's eyes went big. _Starrk_!

Ulquiorra began to feel nervous under the stares of his alpha and his friend. The blush spread down his neck and he attempted to flee back to the room to were his kimono was.

Nnoi caught him and gently shoved him towards Grimm. "Do what I told yah," he urged.

Red snaked down to his shoulders as he rounded the couch and stood in front of the hunter. He faced away and lifted his tail, poking his butt out a little so that he could gaze under the tiny skirt.

Grimm gasped and gently gripped his slim waist. Lacy blue underwear stared back at him, hugging the small rump snuggly and cutely. With a rough tug, Ulqui was in his lap and caught in an eager embrace. "Nnoi I hate how much I love yah sometimes, you fricken' pervert."

"Aw shucks, you're too kind!" He pulled out his phone from his pants pocket. "Now, I need you to pose, Ulqui. I promised a few pretty ladies at the lingerie shop I'd give them pictures to post on their amateur model wall!"

"I don't love you anymore..." Grimm muttered as Ulqui stood against the wall and did a few poses for the camera.

"I would greatly appreciate it if you sent me one or two of those pictures," Starrk murmured.

"You better not be planning on fapping to a picture of Ulqui!" Grimm yelled, his pitch an octave from screeching.

Starrk scoffed. "Please, I'm not creepy or perverted like the guy taking his pictures to give to a lingerie shop. I just think he looks adorable as well as sexy."

Ulquiorra happily took his spot on Grimm's lap once he was done.

Pantera went to his father holding up a present that had gotten pushed to the back of the tree. "Gimm-_pitr_, how will Shi'o get his present?"

Grimm scratched his chin. "I guess we'll just have to set up a date for us to meet up with him."

"Oh okay."

Hours go by and Nnoi and Grimm work on dinner while the rest continue to enjoy their gifts and other such things. Pantera was made aware of his stuffed stocking and stuck his hand in to pull out a myriad of sweets and sheets of stickers. The **Do Not Touch **box was pulled from the fridge and Grimm gave Ulqui a bottle from it. The neko wrinkled his nose up at it, believing that it was beer or some other sort of alcoholic beverage the humans seemed to enjoy. After some urging and promises that it wasn't strong he tried it, and found that he liked the fruity drink called Seagrams: Escapes. Afterwards, Ulqui threw his old kimono back over the lingerie and changed out of the frilly panties into his more comfortable underwear, and curled up on his pillow. Pantera was right next to him, playing with his dolls; he'd already established the pair as siblings and was in the middle of making them play, argue, and make up with hugs and kisses. Starrk was half awake, absentmindedly petting his pillow pet while listening to remastered, and modernized versions of Christmas songs pour out of the stereo on the tv shelf.

_~School's out, Christmas break_  
_Home for the holiday's meatloaf and fruitcake_

_Off to grandma's, it's so boring _  
_Screaming kids and grandpa's snoring_

_My aunt Margaret's lost her mind_  
_She's trippin' on a train set, have another box of wine~_

Grimm and Nnoi, knowing the song by heart, sung the next part, their voices catching the attention of all present. Grimm did a little dance, no more than some head bobs and a wiggle or two as they sung:

_~It's gonna be a merry merry merry frickin' Christmas! _  
_I must be on Santa clauses shitlist! _  
_The tree, the gifts, the mistletoe kiss, _  
_Shoot me now I'm sick of all my relatives _  
_Have a merry merry merry frickin' Christmas~_

Pantera laughed. "Yay! Ekantra and Gimm-_pitr _sing _caru! Punah_! _Punah_!"

The pair laughed and when the next song came on, a modern take on _We Wish you a Merry Christmas_, they humored the kitten and sung the entire song as they cooked.

Dinner was ready once the turkey was pulled from the oven, and all were ravenous from being teased by tantalizing smells all morning and well into the afternoon. All gather at the food burdened table, ladened with collard greens, potato salad, cranberry sauce, deviled eggs, stuffing, candied yams, macaroni and cheese, gravy, and finally the carved turkey. Grimmjow stacked a few phone books on a chair for Pantera, and grabbed a stool from the island so that he can sit at the head of the table. Together they utter an ambiguous prayer and dig in; ready to usher in a new year with each other.

* * *

It's very short, I know, but this was just for the Christmas scene. This would've been part of the last chapter, but I couldn't think of all the presents TT_TT. Thank you to all who gave suggestions and advice:

kitty kuriousity: I'm not sure if that's what you meant by bead pillow, but what Ulqui got from Starrk was what I pictured when I read your review; also, the cat toy for Pan from Nnoi, though I made it jingle instead of squeak *shrugs*

Z: I took the half-assed thing and ran with it! I was wondering how I'd get some more of Grimm's history in there (the carpentry bit), so I thank you even more!

_**Dictionary:**_

_Accha: _Bear

_Caru: _Pretty

_Ekanetra:_ One-eyed

_Punah: _Again

_Nidralu: _Sleepy

_Sayuj: _Mate

*Just realizes that all of Starrk's gifts have something to do with wolves, and dies of laughter*


	8. VII: Found

Winter was merciful, and ended early allowing Spring to roll in bringing its warmer temperatures and awakening flora and fauna. Ulquiorra didn't limit himself to the house anymore, and instead explore the forest the nest had to its back. Clad in his spring kimono of yellow and green, he wandered about the trees alone. His human alpha, Grimmjow, was at work and his son Pantera was at a school following the pale neko Toshiro around to learn about school life before he was admitted to it in the fall. He would miss his kit when he was away during the day for school, and he'd be lonely but maybe he could just suck up his distaste for the human filled restaurant and join Grimm there from time to time.

The sound of water touched his sensitive ears and he followed the soothing sound to a brook flowing into a large pond. A serene look graced his face and he delicately stuck out his foot and dipped a toe in. He snatched it away and shook the still Winter chilled water off his foot and pulled it back under the warmer kimono. The neko used his foot to warm the toe before sitting in seiza at the pond's edge. Eventually he became so relaxed, so de-stressed by the gentle breeze blowing through his ears and long black hair and by the sound of the bubbling water that he began to doze.

He wasn't sure how long he'd sat there when a small thump reached his ears. Ulqui lifted his head and looked around as he slowly lifted to his feet, careful as to not make a sound.

_"Anuja*?"_

The neko flinched and spun around to face the speaker and his eyes widened in recognition and fear.

The alpha neko behind him wore the same appearance as he, though his body was built to protect and provide for submissives and kits. Matching green eyes stared at him questioningly and chin length black hair was swept about by an angrier breeze as he reached towards Ulqui. He flinched out of the way and nearly stepped into the cold water in his haste to stay away from the questing touch.

_"Jy-Jyestha*..."_

b~~~d

The humans had encroached on neko territory again, and clans were forced to move for the safety of all, as well as to find the prey that at had also relocated themselves. The only saving grace was that it was spring, and they didn't have to fear losing elders, females and kits to the cold. They traveled for a week or so before settling in what they hoped would be a permanent spot, and after scouting about they found it adequate. The only danger was the giant human village many many miles from the chosen spot, but humans were easy to scare off and if someone of the neko tribe managed to learn their language they could find an agreement. That chance was slim but it was still favourable to slaughter and enslavement.

The chief's son and heir, one referred to as _Zusma* _since he was the strongest in the clan, decided to do a little more scouting, going farther from the village than probably necessary, but he was curious and just wanted to be very thorough. He wandered during the later hours of morning and was close to the human village by noon. The wind picked up and carried the scent of a female a few days out of her fertile period to his nose. With an inquisitive grunt he headed towards where the scent originated. If this female was part of another neko tribe then he'd have to meet with them and establish agreements with them or risk a turf war, but with her being so close to the human village then she could be the mate of a lone neko. She could even be a runaway submissive, it was rare, but it happened.

If that was the case then he'd capture her, take her home, and give her to an alpha to protect and kit her.

He peeked through a bush and spotted her sitting by the pond he was on the other side of. She appeared to be asleep, her head bowed and breathing quite even. That could mean that she had an alpha as females were very relaxed when they had one; females without usually suffered from paranoia and sadness. He moved to a thinner part of the stream and leaped over it, landing with a low thump before creeping up behind the slowly standing female.

It was then that he could smell the neko herself past the overpowering aroma of fertility, and he recognized it. _"Little sister?"__  
_

She gasped and turned around to face and acknowledge him, and he couldn't stop the warmth from building in his heart, though the sentiment did not reach his face. This was his favorite little sister and littermate, here in front of him after so many years. He saw recognition in her eyes and reached out to pull her into a hug. She flinched away instead of running into his arms like when they were younger.

He glared when he remembered. This may be his favorite sister, but this was also the one who ran away from her duties as a submissive once she became of age. With a little growl his hand struck out to grab her scruff, but he was grasping at air. He looked over in time to see her tail disappear around a tree and gave chase.

_Atidrutam*. _That had been her name before she left the clan, but it was still well-earned. She stayed well out of his reach as he bounded after her, but he had one advantage: he was wearing buckskin pants instead of some flowy kimono. It got caught and made her stumble enough for him to catch her. He dug his fingers into her scruff and yanked, and she yelped and slammed into his chest when she rebounded.

_"Let me go!" _Atidrutam cried but his hold on her scruff made her grasp at him as her knees had gone weak from it.

Zusma stared down at his little sister with cold anger in his eyes. He switched his hold to the front of her neck and slammed her into the nearest tree, making sure that he did not cut off her air. _"Is this where you've been all this time?! Well, I hope you've had your fill of this misguided freedom of yours, because when we get back to the others I'm finding you an alpha that'll keep you locked up and kitted for the rest of your life!" _He moved to start dragging her away but she put up a formidable amount of resistance.

_"I have an alpha! A mate and child! Leave me alone!"_

Zusma faced her once more. "_What?"_

_"I've fulfilled my duty to my race and had a litter, you don't need me anymore, and I will NOT leave my alpha."_

She had to have been lying. _"Where is this alpha, huh? I don't smell a male strongly on you, and he must not be a good one if you're out here and he is nowhere around to protect you!"_

_"He let's me do as I please."_

He moved closer until he was nose to nose with her, glaring deeply into her matching green eyes. "_You are lying to me."_

Her resolve did not waver._ "I am not."_

_"Then take me to your nest."_

_"What? Never! The last thing I'd want is you coming and going from it as you please!"_

_"Then I will take you back to the clan."_

_"No!"_

Zusma grunted and gripped his nose in pain when she sent her small fist into it. A small amount of blood flowed from it and tears blurred his eyes. By the time the tears stopped and he could open his eyes, his little sister was gone.

b~~~d

Ulquiorra didn't stop running until he was safely back in the nest and locking the door behind him. He panted harshly as he leaned against the glass side door. After a few more gulps of air, he pushed away and turned to close the curtain. His breathing calmed and he went to get water from the fridge. His hands shook as he lifted the glass to his lips.

_I can't believe it... my _jyestha_... after all these years..._

b~~~d

Zusma went home to relay the news of his sister's discovery, and it was well received and he was encouraged to track her down and bring her and her supposed kits and alpha to the village in hopes that they would join. He was not surprised by this, as Atridrutam had been a well-loved member of the tribe. Many alphas were disappointed to hear that she was possibly taken, but all the same they wanted her around once more. His father himself gave him a satchel of necessary items and his blessing to track her down, and Zusma left the next day as the sun rose.

He made it back to where he last saw the runaway neko and started his search from there.

The scent trail was cold and the scent of his blood from the day prior hindered him, but eventually he found signs that she'd frantically ran through. Snapped twigs, oddly scattered stones, a partial footprint or two. Around the afternoon he came to a high barrier of wood and carefully peeked over when he heard giggling.

There was a large human home farthest away, and a smaller shack with a squat, long branched tree nearer to the barrier he was peeking over. In the center of the well maintained grass was a kit playing with two well crafted dolls. With its back to him, all Zusma could see was a head of black hair and a sleek, happily waving tail. With a low grunt, he lunged over the barrier and slinked forward. When he was a few feet from the kit he gently called to it. _"Stoka bidalika*?"_

The kit squeaked and looked at the older neko whose eyebrows rose. The kit looked like a miniature Atridrutam, but with a more masculine smell and two toned eyes which were probably from both his mother and his father. He smiled hoping to soothe the kit enough that he wouldn't run off. _"Would your mother happen to be a very pretty neko with long black hair and green eyes?"_

The kit beamed and nodded excitedly before speaking. "_Uh huh! Momma subhavya*! You look like him!"_

He cocked his head._ "Him?"_

_"Yeah, momma is a boy, but he's also a girl because he can have kits!"_

That was his sister alright, but he found it weird that the kit referred to her as a "him".

_"Momma's is in the house! I'll go get him!"_

_"No, no, no! She can't know that I'm here, little one. She'll get mad; we're not on good terms right now."_

_"Oooh!" _the kit drawled and resettled on the ground, though this time he comfortably faced Zusma.

_"So what's your name? And do you have siblings?"_

_"I'm _Pantera_,"_ he held up his dolls fondly,_ "and this is _Putrika_ and _Zumbara_! I have three big brothers, but they don't live here. They're with kupitr."_

_"Who is that?"_

_"My birth father. He was bad to me and momma so momma took me and left. I have a new poppy now! He's great and he never hurts me or momma! I love my, _Gimm_-poppy!"_

Zusma smiled at the excitable boy and opened his mouth to speak more when a sound caught his attention.

_"Runt?"_

_"Oh! That's momma!" _he shooed the older neko. _"Go hide!"_

Without another word he streaked off and hid behind the shack. He got low to the ground and peeked around in time to see his a_nuja_ come from the side of the house and loom over the tiny kit. They exchanged words in a human tongue before he gathered his dolls and headed into the house. Zusma was tempted to stick around, but if this alpha was as good as the kit made him seem then the last thing he wanted was to be mistaken as a rival alpha trying to take Atridrutam. With one final look at the strange nest, he leaped over the barrier and headed into the trees to make camp and rustle up a kill.

b~~~d

Dinner was on the table when Grimmjow got home and Ulquiorra and Pantera happily shared a meal in blissful silence before settling on the couch for tv. Ulquiorra sat snuggled up to the human and Pan was in Grimm's lap, already dozing once the clock hit 9:30. The neko hadn't yet worked up the nerve to tell Grimm about his brother. In all honesty he wanted to forget that the incident in the forest ever happened, but there was an underlying fear holding on to his mind of his brother capturing him and dragging his to the tribe kicking, screaming and crying that made it hard to push out of his head.

He felt Grimm begin flicking his ear softly and looked to him.

"What's on your mind?"

Ulqui shrugged. "_Na kimapi_..."

"That doesn't sound like nothing." He gently stroked Ulqui's head "Really, what's wrong?"

Sighing, he leaned into the caress and refused to say anything. Grimm didn't push the matter, and only muttered that he'd get the information out of him sooner or later. The caress ended and Ulqui scooted closer. Ulquiorra hadn't realized it himself, but his brother's comment about not smelling Grimm strongly on him had affected him. He would subconsciously nuzzle the human and hug him so as to transfer Grimm's scent onto his skin and vice versa. He'd only notice his actions when Grimmjow would laugh and comment on how clingy he was being.

He leaned away when Grimm wrapped his arms around the kit reposing on his lap and stood. "I'm going to put him in bed," he announced. "You go fill the tub and then we can take a relaxing bath together, huh?"

Ulqui smiled and followed him to the back but broke off as they neared the bathroom. The light was bright and stung his eyes when he flipped the switch, but the discomfort passed and pulled his hair back into a braided bun, to keep it from getting wet while bathing, and kneeled to run the water. Grimmjow returned just as he was turning the faucets off. He blushed as large hands disrobed him after having bared the body they belonged to. The bluenet settled in the water before Ulqui joined him, facing the human while straddling his lap and resting his cheek on Grimm's slightly hairy chest. He nuzzled the blue curls with a content sigh.

The sigh turned into a low yip when gentle hands clutched his buttocks which peeked out of the water with the position he was in. Ulquiorra lifted his head, and was kissed. He scooted forward to press their lips more firmly together and moaned when Grimm intruded with his tongue and gently massaged his supple cheeks and the base of his tail with his calloused fingers.

Grimm broke the kiss. "Turn over," he growled huskily.

With very little hesitation, but some confusion he did as instructed, resting his rear on Grimm's lap, and his head on his firm shoulder. Grimm slid his hands under Ulqui's thighs and urged them open and gently nibbled at the juncture of the neko's neck and shoulder. Ulqui delighted in the new form of attention and let the human do as he pleased as he closed his eyes, having complete trust in him.

Grimm noticed the submission and reached up to gently palm his flat breast and his other hand alternated between gently touching the sensitive nub of his sex and palming his small set of testicles. He teased the areas tenderly until the neko was flushed and his mouth fell open with gentle pants and he began unconsciously undulating his hips, sloshing water around in the process.

"Ah!" Ulqui caught himself and stilted his cry when a finger slid past the lips of his lady flower and inside of him. He continued to stifle his moans as Grimm massaged his inner walls, not wanting to wake the sleeping kitten down the hall. Nekos were very open about the subject of sex and childbirth with kits, but they still had reservations about them actually witnessing the act.

A second finger was added and he arched and let out a sobbing moan. Grimm didn't relent, he wiggled, thrusted, and curled his fingers more coaxing out more pleasure laced cries. His second hand moved down to fondle his balls which hung under a painfully erect member. A coil within him tightened with the ministrations and soon his walls clamped around Grimm's fingers and he shuddered as he squirted long, generous strings of semen onto his stomach before falling limp on his mate's form. Grimmjow cleaned him off while he basked in the little aftershocks of his orgasm.

They both fell still, merely enjoying each other's presence and, in Ulqui's case, drowsy from release. It was then that the neko noticed a hardness under his bottom, and he realized that his gentle thrashing against his human alpha had stirred his loins. He sat up and looked over his shoulder at the blue-haired hunter who relaxed with his blue eyes closed as if deep asleep. Ulquiorra turned over so that he straddled his lap and stared down at the semi-erect pride whose head peeked lewdly out of the water. The cat grew nervous.

Ever since they'd established themselves as a pair thoughts of mating with Grimm played through his mind, but the prospect was still worrisome to his mind. Would it hurt? Would he be gentle or would he give into what animalistic instincts humans might still have despite their years of domestication? He studied the instrument falling flaccid in front of him.

Unlike his own, Grimm's didn't appear to have barbs; in fact it looked quite smooth. He cocked his head and looked at it without touching, searching for any other manner of breeding fail-safe. There was no knot like with a canine. It wasn't tapered either. Maybe it just expanded upon orgasm? That would surely be less uncomfortable or painful for the receiving mate when compared to all the others.

_Ah, it moved, _Ulqui thought curiously when Grimm's flaccid length lurched as if yearning to become fully erect.

"Ulqui..." Grimm murmured, and the neko glanced at him. "It's really hard to keep from getting hard with you staring at it like that..."

Red filled his cheeks and Ulqui looked away from the object of his curiosity completely. With a chuckle, Grimmjow leaned forward and bathed them both before unstoppering the tub and getting out. He dried off first and then dried off Ulquiorra. The dressed in the night-clothes Grimm had brought in and went to join Pan in bed.

b~~~d

The following morning was cold, and Zusma's bones creaked and popped as he crawled out of the warm lean-to he'd made. His stretch quickly turned into a shudder as he wrapped his arms around himself. He rubbed his goose-pimpling flesh before digging in his satchel and pulling out a buckskin shirt. He pulled it on with a relieved sigh before eating on what was leftover from the previous day's meal. It was cold, but savory and filling. Licking his fingers, he stashed his satchel away in a nearby hollow log and made his way towards his sister's 'home'.

He peeked over the wood barrier before vaulting over and falling into a low crouch. His eyes searched for movement as he crawled towards the side of the nest where steps lead to a small platform the door was on. He peeked over the side of the platform, as the door was glass. There was a horrible glare on the door from his angle but he could still see inside.

Nothing happened for quite sometime, but eventually his patience was rewarded, as a light came on, which negated a little of the glare, and movement could be seen. He shifted a little, trying to see the source of the movement and smiled. It was the kitten Pantera. He stumbled around sleepily and from his shorter vantage point noticed Zusma and waved. The older neko wiggled a finger back.

The kitten looked towards the back of the nest before walking towards the door and slipping out. _"Suprabhata."_

_"Suprabhata, stoka bidalika," _he greeted back. _"Where are the adults?"_

_"Still asleep," _he shrugged. _"I went to sleep before them."_

_"As you should, little one. Kits like you need rest so that they can grow big and strong."_

He giggled. _"Momma tells me that all the time! Do you want something to drink..." _He grew a confused look that bordered on distress. _"I don't know your name..."_

Zusma grinned. _"I am your matula* so you may call me that or Matula Zusma. And yes, water would be wonderful."_

He nodded and slid through the crack he'd left in the door.

Nary a minute passed when he heard:

"RAAAH!"

"AAAHH!"

Before he could think, lept onto the platform and gripped the edge of the door. Laughter was what stopped him. There was a deep chuckle accompanying a gleeful giggle before human words were exchanged. Zusma got back into his crouch and slinked backwards off of the platform and returned to his original position. He gazed curiously, but the sun had risen more and made the glare on the door worse, hindering his vision inside more in effect. The talking ended and he saw the lower half of Pantera scuttle by, and long bare legs followed behind slowly. More talking and then the legs headed towards the back of the nest, and after a moment, the kitten came to the door holding a large green colored cup. Zusma lifted an eyebrow as he took note of the sleeved cloak he now wore and the stiff moccasins on his feet. He inquired of it as he graciously took the glass and sucked back half the glass.

"Gimm_-poppy told me to put it on so that I won't get cold and sick," _he explained as he seated himself before me.

_"Ah, so the male that was with you was my sister's alpha, and your new father?"_

_"Mm hm, mm hm!"_

A gentle tinkling came from the kit when he nodded vigorously. He then notice the strip of what looked like leather around his slim neck, and a shiny piece of stone hanging from it. _"What is that?"_

_"Hm? Oh, a collar. Me and momma have to where them or the humans might get mad." _He scrunched up his nose. _"Or something like that. Hey..._ Gimm_-poppy's not mad at you right?_"

_"I'd think not. After all, I don't even know him."_

_"Do you think you want to meet him?"_

_"A chance to meet my sister's mate? How could I possibly pass that up?"_

Pantera turned over and poked his head inside the house to call out to the mystery male. Footsteps were heard and the door opened more to accommodate the male's broader frame. Zusma's eyes widened. This human - this _human_ \- was a menacing figure to behold. Muscles bulged in all the right ways making him look strong but not taking away from his attractiveness. His jaw was set in an ever-present soft scowl and his blue eyes were squinted though that was from the rising sun. His blue curls were matted unappealingly, but with a grumble, he stretched and ran a hand through them and they fluffed out.

As a man, Zusma admired and aspired to have a physique such as his, but had the neko been female he would've been throwing himself on such a perfect mate, begging to be kitted.

But then there was the more important and troubling matter to think about: this man was human. He couldn't possibly be his little sister's alpha! It just wasn't right.

The neko wasn't noticed at first, by the oddly colored human, and had to be pointed out by Pantera. When the human finally saw him, he yanked the kit behind himself and glared down at the crouching man-cat. _"What do you want, trespasser?" _he growled in Zusma's native tongue; that surprised him greatly.

Zusma reached up and leaped to perch on the railing of the high platform and from there he could look into his eyes. _"My little sister lives here."_

He grew a confused look and shook his head. "_There are no women here, you've got the wrong house."_

Pantera tugged the hem of the shorts the human was wearing to garner his attention. He spoke mostly in human tongue but Zusma heard him say, _"...matr's jyestha," _and had the gist of the sentence. He was met with a dubious glance.

_"You may look like my mate, but I doubt you."_

_"I swear on the entirety of the neko race that your... mate and the mother of that kit is my little sister. I only want to speak with her and see how she is, and then I will leave..." _The human drew dangerously close, staring deep into his green orbs, but he remained firm and unwavering. What he spoke of was the truth and he had to make it known.

The blue-haired male withdrew with a grunt, and with a jerk of his head allowed him entry into the nest. Zusma hopped down from the railing and walked in. He was met with a giggle from Pantera.

_"Momma's gonna be more mad at you now."_

_"Why?"_

_"You're getting the floor all messy!"_

Zusma looked down and grimaced at the dirt he'd tracked in and went to scrape his feet off on the rough mat outside the door. The dirt was gone from his feet but the damage was already done. He sighed innerly at the thought of giving his sister more reason to be angry and wish to avoid him. The human called to him, waking him from his musings, and gestured for him to sit in a chair at a long table connected to the wall and Zusma did so without hesitation. He watched as the human yawned and started... doing something. Cooking?

It had to have been cooking as he began to pull different ingredients and utensils and plates and prepare them. He murmured a few things and Pantera, who had taken the seat next to him, looked to Zusma.

_"_Gimm-_poppy is wondering if you're hungry, but you might as well accept because he'll make you a plate anyway."_

He laughed. _"Then I accept."_

Pantera looked to his human "father" and spoke in the confusing language; no doubt relaying Zusma's answer. The blue-haired male continued to work for quite a while, cutting and mixing ingredients and throwing them in a hot pan to cook, before stretching and turning to the two nekos.

_"Name?" _he asked simply.

"Zusma."

The human wrinkled his nose and muttered something that made the kitten to the left smile and say something back. He shook his head as if in pity towards the Zusma.

_Has he got a problem with my name?! _Zusma thought with scorn that did not show on his face.

"Grimmjow."

Zusma felt the petulant urge to mock the name as he was sure Grimmjow had done his, but suppressed it and gave the human a polite head bob. Grimmjow bobbed his head back, and went back to cooking. Whatever it was, it was beginning to smell **really** good. He looked to Pantera. _"Was he laughing at my name?" _he asked.

"Uh huh!"

_"What for? That's very rude!"_

_"He thinks that neko names are too simple and boring."_

_"Boring?! I earned my name because I am the strongest of warriors in the tribe." _He flinched when Grimmjow suddenly barked something at him.

_"He said 'Be quiet'," _Pantera translated. _"_Gimm-_poppy and other humans like_ Ekanetra _and _Accha_ think that a name doesn't have to describe you... or at least I think that's what they think. I really don't know." _He giggled. _"Oh! You should let him give you a name too!"_

Zusma turned his nose up at that. _"Never... wait did he rename my sister too?"_

_"Mm hm, it's _Ul..Ulkwee-" he stumbled with the name, obviously having not said it very often.

"Ulquiorra," Grimmjow muttered as he divided helpings of food onto four plates. The food looked really good too, in the guest neko's opinion.

_"Yeah that!" _His eyes went wide and he beamed at something to Zusma's right and the male followed his gaze and grew a smile of his own.

His sister had finally decided to make an appearance, and looked quite cute all the while. Her green eyes were squinted and bleary from dreams that still clung to her, and her hair was wavy as if it'd fallen out of a braid as she slept. Her clothes were baggy and unsuitable for a woman - pants that bunched on the floor and hung loosely on her hips and a large shirt that slid off of one shoulder - but he blamed the human for letting her wear that. Atridrutam, or rather Ulquiorra, (_Nope. Nope. I refuse to call her that._) rubbed her eyes and stretched as she yawned, her pants dropping sharply, but she caught them before her privy parts or thighs could be shown. She grumbled as she fixed them into place and locked eyes with Zusma suddenly.

She blinked.

She blinked again.

She blinked once more.

A flash of shock, horror, and anger went through her widened eyes as her entire body went rigid.

He couldn't resist.

Zusma grinned impishly and lifted a hand to wiggle his fingers at her as a mock greeting. _"Suprabhata, anuja..."_

b~~~d

_My_ jyestha..._ is in... the nest... _Ulquiorra thought in disbelief, unable to hide the fear and hatred in his eyes. _My _jyestha _knows where I live... There is no word to describe how I feel right now... _A clatter brought him out of his daze and he turned his anger on his mate. "Grimmjow!"

"Yo," he said as he passed by the neko with his arms burdened with balanced plates of food. He set them out on the table and went back to the kitchen to gather silverware and pour cups of orange juice.

"Why is **he** here?!"

Grimm finished setting the table and faced him with his hands planted on his hips. "What's wrong? That's your brother right?"

Ulqui blanched which was quite a feat when you consider his pale pallor. "How do you know that?"

"Pan told me."

The frazzled neko looked to his son. "How do you know that, _Ksudra_?"_  
_

"He came to the backyard lookin' for you yesterday," the cat boy chirped proudly. He squealed as Grimm lifted him from his seat at the island and "flew" him over to his place at the table. He tucked into breakfast as Grimm pet his head.

"Yesterday!? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Befuaz ee sah not to," he answered with a delightfully full mouth before swallowing. "_Matula _Zusma, said you were mad at him."

"Don't call him that!" Ulquiorra scolded and then glared daggers at the oldest neko present. How dare Zusma sneak up to the nest? How dare he even **speak** to his kit? How dare Zusma sit there smiling at him as if his hate for the elder neko wasn't tangible! He gasped when heavy hands gripped his shoulders.

"Calm down, Ulqui," he murmured soothingly knowing that the neko only spoke this much when freaking out and hissing and snarling wouldn't help. "Why is this such a problem?"

His voice cracked as he spoke. "He wants me to leave... wants me to return to the clan to be with a different alpha..." Tears stung the edges of his eyes and they were wiped away by calloused thumbs. "I'll never go willingly, but he could easily take me back against my will."

"Psh, let 'em just try," he scoffed. "I can take him."

Ulqui almost smiled at the sweet but foolish decree and sighed as Grimm kissed him gently. He nuzzled the human back and nipped at his lip.

_"I don't approve of him," _his brother murmured, ruining the calming moment.

_"That's not for you to decide!" _Ulqui snarled and yipped when he received a swat on the rear from Grimmjow.

"No fighting," Grimm ordered before nudging the mama-cat to the table and making him sit next to Pan. "We'll talk after we eat. _Hey you, come eat._" He sat down and Zusma wandered over and took the seat next to the bluenet. In an effort to stay calm, Ulqui avoided looking at him while eating, opting to instead look at and pet his son. He forgot about eating a few times, and had to be reminded by Grimmjow. Ulqui was the last to finish his meal.

His brother was the first to talk. _"So where's your real alpha?"_

_"You're sitting next to him..."_ Ulquiorra grumbled, not at all pleased with where this conversation was undoubtedly going.

_"This **human **is not your alpha. That kit's father - the first to claim and kit you - is your alpha. Now where is he?"_

Ulqui scowled as buried memories were dug up once again, the previous time being when Grimmjow had asked about Pantera's father. He crossed his arms and looked imploringly to the bluenet as he went around the table, gathering the dishes to wash them. "Grimm?" he uttered as the human placed the dishes in the sink. "Could you give Pan a bath?"

Blue eyes met green and held each others gazes for a moment. Grimm nodded and ushered Pan away who whined about wanting to stay. It wasn't until they were in the bathroom and the water began to run that he spoke.

_"I refuse to speak of my son's sire to you."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because he was a cruel bastard!"_

Similar green eyes narrowed. _"Don't raise your voice to me, sis," _he said darkly. _"And don't complain about how things turned out when you left the village. If you had just stayed-!"_

Ulqui threw his hands up and vacated his seat, storming a few feet away from the table. _"I don't need to hear this!"_

His shoulder was grabbed roughly and he was swung around to face the taller neko. _"If you had just stayed in the village, you would've had a better alpha to care for you!"_

_"I wasn't going to stay and be kitted by the entire tribe!"_

_"You're exaggerating, it was only 5 alphas."_

_"That sure feels like the entire tribe; we were so small at the time."_

Zusma held up a hand with splayed fingers. _"5 **suitable** alphas,_ Atridrutam_! You should've felt honored, you ungrateful _ganika*_!"_

The insult stung, but he brushed it off. _"Honored!?"_

_"Yeah! They all wanted you for their wife but had to settle with merely kitting you to fend off envy and violence. You were perfect: beautiful, petite, smart, fast, quiet, lovable despite your difficult disposition and flaws, but you threw it all in their faces and ran away!"_

_"You knew how I felt, big brother! You knew that I was unsure about having a mate and a litter, because I didn't understand my body!"_

_"What's to understand, sis? You're a female and females need alphas to care for them and breed with them while our numbers are low from those god be damned humans."_

_"I'm only part female..." _Ulqui said.

His brother crossed his arms and sniffed,_ "Your extra part and lack of breasts were excusable. You're female."_

"_Jyestha._" Ulqui growled sternly. _"I am a male." _He gasped when his brother glared and snatched the collar of the loose t-shirt and dragged him close. Zusma's smoldering green pools glaring down on him, and he had to fend off the instinctual and submissive urge to lean against him and press his head to the underside of the dominant neko's jaw in apology.

_"As long as you can bear kits,"_ he growled, _"you will never be a male."_

The unyielding declaration hurt. It really did.

_"Let him go."_

Ulquiorra pulled his gaze from Zusma and looked over to see Grimmjow standing in the hall with a clean and towel swaddled Pantera tucked under his arm. The human was glaring harshly at Zusma, making the neko's grasp loosen enough for Ulqui to snatch away and go to Grimm's side. Grimm put a hand in Ulqui's tresses.

_"You should go," _he growled to Zusma.

The neko bared his teeth but then shrugged the whole thing off with a scoff. _"I'll be back," _he growled and headed for the glass side door. He slid it open and stepped outside, looking back over his shoulder at Ulqui. _"And I'm bringing father..."_

_x~~~x_

_7 years in the past_

_"_Siddha*_?" a voice cried before before throwing down their hand, signaling for the young nekos to run. "_Yati*_!"_

_With gleeful yells, the neko boys participating in the race made tracks, their bare feet pounding the dry, hard-packed earth and kicking up dust. Unbeknownst to them, a smaller figure was racing along with them, though stayed hidden in the cover of trees lining the "racetrack" until they were ahead of the boys. There were gasps and angry cries when the secret racer burst from the trees far in front of them. Though the boys urged their legs to carry them faster they could not catch up to the new racer._

_Green eyes opened wide, they panted happily as their tiny feet and legs propelled them forward, and made a lovely wind pass through their dark hair and perked cat ears. The slits on the sides of their soft clothed dress made it so that their legs went unhindered and soft moccasins padded their feet. The other racers were so far behind that the small neko allowed themself a delighted smile._

_"Unf!" they grunted when a blur darted from the trees and swept them off their feet before they could react. The wind was knocked out of them from the tackle and they panted harshly as they gazed up at their assailant. "_P-Pitr_..."_

_The old neko, the chief as well as one of the elders though he was barely in his mid-thirties, gazed at the supine neko fondly with his sparkling golden eyes. Streaks of gray broke up the short ebony curtain he sported and dusted his fuzzy ears. A small smile marred his usually serious countenance as he questioned the little neko. "Atridutam, _putri*_, what are you doing?"_

_She was still panting as the group of boys gathered around, though not too close or they might get glared at by the chief. Her smile was gone in the presence of others. "_Huff! Huff!_ Running _pant!_ with the boys."_

_The chief shook his head, but said nothing knowing that reminding his daughter that she shouldn't be doing such things was a waste of breath._

_Her father began to stand and she wrapped her arms around his neck, getting help to her feet. She dusted herself off and looked to the chief, quietly wondering if she could leave. Her unspoken question was answered when he gripped her hand and led her back to the village of sturdy huts they called home._

_There was very little bustle as they traveled through the little hamlet. Mothers wandered either with a baby burdened stomach or a legion of kits following behind them like little ducklings. Adult nekos who weren't burdened with the responsibility of small kits were working, carrying around materials for building or ingredients for the mass evening meal that was prepared every other day. Oddly enough, there were also strangers present and milling around, probably visitors from allied clans. Nekos waved to the chief and his daughter as they passed, and the chief would nod politely while Atridrutam diverted her eyes. She kept her head down as they reached their home._

_It was the same as all the others, mud bricks and wood walls with a wood and stone roof, with the only difference being the blue curtain draped over the entrance to show that it was the home of the village chieftain. He went inside for a moment before returning with a bundle in his hands. Before she could ask what it was her hand was grabbed once again and she was led into the forest in the direction of the small natural hot springs outside the clan's territory._

_Atridrutam said nothing, though questions racked her brain, as her father helped her undress and proceeded to bathe her. She was dried off and she shivered on the edge of the warm pool as he unwrapped the bundle. Her eyebrows rose when a simple but pretty lavender kimono was revealed. She was wrapped up in it, it was a touch too big, and a black sash was used to secure it, and then her hair was gathered into a loose ponytail._

_Her father turned her around and looked at her, another smile spread across his face. "_Sundaram drzyase*_."_

_"_Dhanyavada, pitr. _What is this for, though?"_

_"You'll see," he said and led her back to the village._

_She saw her mother and automatically tried to go towards her, but her father's grip tightened on her wrist and dragged her towards the open air conference hut where a group of males had already gathered. The chief sat on the flat stone, that acted as a dais, under the roof of the wall-less hut and Atridrutam sat in seiza aside him. After a quick look she saw that her_ jyestha,_ Zusma, and her_ agraja*_, Lajjalu*,__ sat on her father's other side._

_The chief called for attention and the audience settled their side conversations and looked to him._

_"Greetings my brethren," he boomed in an official manner. "This meeting has been called to discuss the future mate of my beloved _putri_, Atridrutam."_

_She flinched and looked, wide-eyed at her father. "Me?! But-But shouldn't Lajjalu have a mate before me?"_

_"Hush now," he scolded lightly. "Your sister already has a mate; Mauna of the Karvara* clan. You'd have known that had you stopped hiding yourself away in various locations."_

_At that, a neko from the audience waved and her big sister blushed and timidly waved back. The chief looked back at the audience. "Many of you have expressed desires to have my _putri_ as a mate to yourselves or your sons, but we must come to an agreement as to which one of you will receive her. How will this be decided?"_

_Someone stood and Atridrutam could tell that they were from the Simah* clan from his wild mane of hair. "First, tell us more about her. All we know is that she's cute and fast, but that's not much to go on, and neither do those traits make a **good **mate. If she can't offer more, then I will take my son and leave."_

_There were murmurs of agreement and she merely stared at her hands in her lap, silently praying that they would all be displeased and leave._

_"This is an acceptable request, I will list some things and my son might be able to fill in any blanks there might be." He closed his eyes as he thought. "She's still young - only 13 years but she'll be 14 by the winter. She's shy-"_

_She grimaced. _No I'm not... I simply don't warm up to others because I have no reason to...

_"- smart, compassionate -"_

Only to those in my family...

_"- good with kits -"_

_She crossed her arms. _That week I took care of our neighbor's kits while she was sick does **not** count!

_"- and quite submissive."_

_Oh, how she wanted to glare at her father for that; she was definitely not submissive!_

_"Though she does have one flaw. She is not fully female unlike Lajjalu."_

_Someone in the audience scoffed. "As if that matters, there are too few females to be picky about the ones who are part male. So long as she doesn't try to assert dominance, it is no problem." Murmurs of agreement whispered through the group._

_Atridrutam thought about that. She wasn't submissive... but she definitely wasn't dominant. Was neutral an option?_

_Zusma spoke up. "My sister is far from dominant but she can be very stubborn when she wants to be."_

_"Aren't all females?" someone chided, and caused a small fit of laughter from the audience. They settled after a moment and returned their gazes to the chief._

_"Now that that is done, we must discuss and decide who my _putri _will spend her life with."_

_The neko father of the Simah clan spoke up once more. "I suggest a battle of strength."_

_"No, I think wits and strategy would be the best way to go," someone protested. He looked to be of the Zardula clan, what with his regal posture and the way he gazed studiously yet ferally over the crowd and those on the daïs._

_"Perhaps we should ask her preference?" another mused, seeming to be of the father of Mauna. Atridrutam wasn't in the least surprised to see two other young alphas accompanying him besides her sister's mate._

_"Bah, there's no need. All submissives want an attractive alpha male to protect and care for them, they hardly care about the contents of the package," the Simah clansman snorted. His comment made the to-be-mated neko flush angrily, but she pushed the irrational emotion away and schooled her expression into one of indifference._

_She wanted no more of this, and ended up daydreaming and droning out the persistent arguments as well as the eventual agreement of sorts and then the decision. She remained blissfully unaware in her mind as two hours passed and then she noticed her father calling her. "Yes, _pitr_?"_

_His hand rested on her head while his smiled warmly. "I'm sorry, I had forgotten how boring these things can be for females. While you drifted off we came to a decision." He looked back to the audience and she followed his gaze to see five males sitting cross-legged, closer now before the daïs. _

_One was from the Simah clan, obvious from his unruly mane and large size, the next was from the Kavara clan and probably the brother of her sister's mate, another was from the Zardula tribe and appeared meek despite his fierce heritage, and the last two were from Atridrutam's own clan, the Marjara* clan. She quirked an eyebrow in confusion._

_"I... have to choose?" she hazarded._

_A light chuckle floated through the audience at her naïvety and her father spoke once more. "No, these are all your alphas, _putri_."_

_"... What... how?__"_

_The chief wrapped an arm around her. "It was decided that traits such as yours shouldn't be limited to just one tribe, and these five young males will take turns kitting and caring for you." He pointed at the Simah alpha. "Komala* is first and you will leave with him and his father tomorrow."_

_Atridrutam went stiff and silent. The reaction confused the nekos around her._

_"Aren't you excited, _anuja_?" Zusma asked her. "You get five alphas! You'll never want for attention and kits."_

_"I-I'm almost jealous," Lajjalu whispered, but a smile and blush came over her when she met Mauna's eyes again._

_Time seemed to slow down and the world seemed as if a fog had fallen over it. The air grew thin for her and she panted weakly as her stomach cramped up. "E...Excuse... me..." she uttered and rose to her feet. She wobbled slightly both from dizziness and having been sitting on her legs for a little more than two hours as she headed for the treeline more than a few meters away. She fell to her knees just as her stomach lurched and she voided her stomach._

_"Atridrutam!" she heard her father cry and precious few seconds passed before she felt hands on her, rubbing soothing circles on her lower back and pulling away her braid so that it wouldn't fall into the sickly puddle forming before her. She shook as a sob went through her and his efforts in comforting her doubled. "Ssh, it's okay."_

_"Is she sick?" someone asked._

_"No, I just think nerves got the best of her," the chief said. When her heaving stopped he patted her back and slowly lifted her into his arms. "C'mon, let's clean you up."_

* * *

Whoo hoo another chapter done! Also, I bet everyone is well aware as to who Ulqui's brother is/represents... right? If not then I'll reveal it in the next chapter *shrugs*

Shameless self-promotion ahead (forgive me DX): You should check out the IBWY series I started; they're all centered on Ulquiorra in different AUs I imagined up after something was pointed out to me earlier in this story. Also, if you haven't already done so, pretty please vote on the poll in my profile! End of Shameless self-promotion

Anyway, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed and will leave me a review to enjoy and ponder over! Have a wonderful day!

_**Dictionary: (This chapter gave it a work out!)**_

_Agraja: _Big sister

_Anuja:_ Little Sister

_Atridrutam: _Very fast

_Dhanyavada: _Thank you

_Ganika: _Harlot (How mean, right?)

_Jyestha: _Big brother

_Karvara: _Tiger

_Komala: _Gentle

_Kupitr: _Bad father

_Lajjalu: _Shy

_Marjara: _Cat

_Matula: _Maternal Uncle

_Mauna: _Silence

_Na kimapi__: _Nothing

_Pitr: _Father/Poppy

_Putri: _Daughter

_Siddha: _Ready

_Simah: _Lion

_Stoka bidalika:_ Little kitten

_Subhavya: _Very pretty

_Suprabhata: _Good morning

_Sundaram drzyase: _You look beautiful.

_Yati: _Go

_Zardula: _Panther

_Zusma: _Strength


	9. VIII: Reunion

I'm sorry that this chapter took so long to be put up! There's no excuse... other than Sims 4 XD. I love this game sooo much; I'm addicted! I even made Grimm's house, and it came out nicer than I'd expected. If any of you want to check it out in the gallery, it's called HHCH House.

Now on to the story!

* * *

_Atridrutam tensed with a gasp before her mind fully awakened and she sat up and looked around. The neko didn't remember returning to her bedroom, and she definitely didn't remember changing back into her comfortable dress, but there she was. A soft snore drew her attention and she spotted her big brother reposing next to her. The spot next to him where her big sister usually slept was empty; she was probably with Mauna in one of the guest huts.  
_

_She sighed sadly. She would be leaving the next day to be with one of the 5 alphas chosen for her. The Simah one if she remembered correctly._ How dreadful_, she thought as she sighed. She wrinkled her nose as an uncomfortable pressure in her nether region made itself known. Almost glad for the strange distraction, she pushed the thin blanket off of her form and rocked to her feet._

_"Yah!" she yelped when a firm hand grabbed her ankle and she nearly fell._

_"Where do you think you're going, anuja?" her brother's sleep heavy voice came._

_Atridrutam huffed. "It's the middle of the night; where do you think?"_

_"I wouldn't know."_

_She shook her foot trying to dislodge her suspicious brother's hand. "I visit the tree every night, jyestha, and that's what I want to do now! Let go or I'll wet our bed!"_

_The hand released her quickly and, just as speedily, she vacated the room. _

_The small home was silent as she slinked through it towards the front. Soft snores and purrs floated from her parents room and she thought fondly of the image of them snuggled around her mother's new litter of two small boys. She would've chanced a peek in if the need to relieve herself wasn't so very urgent._

_The air was cold as she stepped outside, and her bare arms broke out with goose-flesh. She took a deep soothing breath and headed for the trees._

_Crickets and cicadas sung to her as she wandered along the well used path. There were few other sounds to accompany her. A random hoot. Rustles from the wind blowing through the leaves. Footsteps..._

_...Footsteps?_

_The neko stopped and turned around in time to see her brother falter and dive behind a tree. "Jyestha! What are you doing, following me? You wish to watch me pee, don't you, you filthy boy! I'm telling pitr!"_

_Zusma stepped from behind the tree. "Good luck with that. I'm here because pitr wants me to keep an eye on you."_

_She narrowed her green eyes at that. "What for?"_

_"To... to keep you safe. You know, before you have to leave."_

_She shook her head and stomped away. "You're a terrible liar."_

_She made it to the designated spot and quickly pulled down her undergarments before angling her male part so that it wouldn't soil her dress. She sighed as the pressure was lifted and her bladder emptied. Atridrutam caught herself before she could left out another sigh, blushing furiously as she remembered her brother's presence. She peered over her shoulder at him and caught the disgusted sneer he wore before he turned away._

_"Why are you using your male part? That's improper."_

_"I have no control over which part I use."_

_"Learn some control. Maybe if you stopped using it, it'll fall off and you could be a normal female. Flat-chested though. Maybe they'll grow once your first litter is on the way."_

_She seethed as she replaced her undergarments. "Could we **not** talk about this?" Stomping by him, she headed back to the village with her brother strolling behind her._

_"This is as good a time as any. Besides, I won't be seeing you for quite a long time after tomorrow."_

_"I really don't want to talk about it."_

_"Why not?"_

_Atridrutam stopped and turned to him. "Nobody asked me if I even wanted an alpha! I wasn't give any choice in the matter, no choice at all!"_

_Zusma snorted. "Why would you have been given a choice? You're female; females don't know what they want."_

_She gaped at that, struck dumb at his words. "'Females don't know what they want'?! According to who?"_

_"Nature, of course."_

_"Females aren't stupid, jyestha! Females are smarter than males sometimes too!" She turned on her heel and headed back to the village, hoping that her words had ended such an inane thought. No luck..._

_He snorted at that and followed once more. "The only thing females are smart about is raising kits. Without males around, you'd starve or freeze! Everyone knows that; why are we even talking about this?"_

_"I don't want an alpha to lord over me; that's why we're talking about this."_

_"Of course you do. All females do."_

_"I'm only half female-"_

_"Oh, don't start this again. You're female with an extra part."_

_"I haven't even had my first fertile period! Lajjalu had hers when she was 9!"_

_"Pitr told me that matr didn't have hers until she was 16." He grabbed her shoulder, stopping her brisk walk, and made her turn to face him. "You're nervous about your first time aren't you?"_

_Atridrutam's cheeks went red. Where had he pulled such a question from? How had he come to such a conclusion? The blush spread as she voiced those questions._

_"You make it so obvious, anuja, how could I not have figured it out?" He crossed his arms over his lightly toned chest and spoke in a soothing faux-fatherly tone. "Don't worry, Atridrutam. Yes the first time will hurt, but you'll grow used to it after a few more litters. Also, I hear Komala truly fits his name, and might even leave you alone for you first fertile period. Just be a good submissive and you should be fine."_

_Atridrutam was sure that the blush reached her toes by now, what from the overwhelming amount of embarrassment and anger she was feeling. "Simahs aren't gentle, jyestha. They just aren't. The moment I turn fertile, Komala will wish to kit me, and if I resist he'll probably just-just... hold me down and kit me that way!"_

_"That's why I said be good. If he wants to kit you then just lay there and be kitted. I don't see why this is so hard for you to understand."_

_"I don't want an alpha, jyestha! I don't want kits! I don't want males thinking that they can run and ruin my life because of some sort of entitlement they think they have! They have no right!" She pointed an accusing finger at her big brother. "You have no right! Pitr too!"_

Smack!

_She took a few steps back and clutched her stinging cheek. Her eyes blurred with tears that didn't fall as she stared at her brother who sent her an angry and annoyed glare._

_"Shut your mouth, anuja. You will accept your purpose in life, and you will accept it with dignity and silence. You can have such selfish thoughts when the humans aren't pushing us towards extinction!"_

_There was rustling and then some twigs snapped and a new figure joined them. "What are you two doing out here?" their chief and father asked them in a scolding tone.  
_

_"Sorry, pitr. I was watching over anuja while she went to the bathroom when she voiced her fear over her first kitting."_

_Atridrutam looked away, still clutching her cheek. "I said nothing of the sort. Ah!" She exclaimed as she was suddenly lifted into her father's arms._

_"Oh, putri," her father murmured as he gently caressed her ears and carried her away. "Do not worry. I picked the best for you, and made sure that they knew of your... difficulties and would be tolerant. You have nothing to fear."_

_"That's not what... forget it..."_

_"What, putri?"_

_"I said 'forget it'. I don't care anymore." _Maybe if I don't care then I won't feel so helpless...

_Her father grumbled and gave her a firm swat on her rump. "Don't use that tone with me, young lady."_

_"S-Sorry, pitr..."_

_x~x_

_Rough shaking woke her up the next day, but she fended off the hand shaking her and rolled over grumbling a grumpy, "Leave me alone."_

_"Wake up, anuja! You're fertile!"_

_The word made her blood go cold and she sat up and looked to her lap. Atridrutam pushed her blankets away and gasped at the splotches of blood soiling her dress._

_"Your body must be excited at the prospect of kits even if you're not," Zusma said happily. He got up and left her and returned moments later with their father who smiled warmly at her._

_Atridrutam didn't even attempt to forge an emotion to show him, she just stared blankly at him. She remained in her shocked silence even as she was lifted from her bed and carried out in her father's arms.  
_

_"I'm so very happy, putri," he murmured to her as he carried her through the village and began following the path to the spring. It was still rather early so the sky was dim and only the men in charge of hunting for breakfast were out and about. If they acknowledged her or her father, she hadn't heard them over the storm wreaking havoc on her thoughts. _

_They made it to the spring without her truly noticing and she was set on her feet and undressed._

_"Atridrutam, why are you crying?"_

_The young neko touched her cheeks to find tears running down them. She snuffled and let her hands drop. "I..."_

_"What?"_

_"...I thought I was a male. I was so sure..."_

_Her father's brows came together in confusion. "What led you to believe such a thing?"_

_The neko shook her head and shrugged. "It... it doesn't matter. I'm not male. I'm female... I must bear kits though I don't want them, and I must have and obey an alpha though I don't want to. I have no choice."_

_"Putri-"_

_Atridrutam turned and hopped into the water before he could finish. She made quick work of cleansing herself before hopping back out and drying off. The soft dress was still sullied by the evidence of her gender but her question on what she should wear died on her lips as her father wrapped the lavender kimono around her. She snatched away when she felt her father's fingers in her hair and headed back towards the village._

_Zusma and her mother were outside talking with Komala and his father in front of their home. The sight made her steps falter, and she wanted to hide, but her no-longer-future alpha saw her and waved her over. She lowered her gaze and did so begrudgingly._

_"Ah!"_

_Komala grabbed her as soon as she was within reach, wrapping his thick, muscled arms around her, and pulling her into a suffocating embrace. She strained her neck to look up at his grinning face as he was at least a head and a half taller than her._

_"Your jyestha just told us the great news," he said as he stroked her ears. "You're fertile! Though, it wasn't really needed, huh? I could smell you and hour away!"_

_The neko blushed and looked to the side._

_"I'll kit you as soon as we're home."_

_Her heart skittered._

_"Be gentle, new brother. My anuja was just telling me that she was nervous about her first kitting."_

_She flushed and lurched at him, but could not escape Komala's crushing embrace. "I said no such thing! Stop saying that!"_

_The males all laughed and her mother sent her a loving, understanding, smile. Komala pet her with renewed vigor. "Don't worry leza*, I'm a gentle giant."  
_

_Atridrutam scowled at the nickname as well as the obvious, bad, joke._

_Her father appeared, carrying her dampened dress. He'd been cleaning it, as the bloodstains were either faded or nonexistent. He bobbed his head as he was greeted. "You can head out after her dress has dried if that's acceptable, Pazuta*."_

_"No," Pazuta, Komala's father grumbled. He set his large palm on his son's shoulder and Atridrutam looked to him; he was a head taller than Komala. "She doesn't need anything, so we can start for home now."_

_"Are you sure?"_

_"Yes, very. It's a five day's journey back home, and I don't want Komala to miss his chance at kitting her. Halfies are known for having strange fertile periods after all." The big Simah clansman retracted his hand and put it on his chin. "I think it would be smart to even kit her a few times along the way, my putra*."_

_Her ears flattened at that._

_"Hm..." Komala hummed. "Perhaps..." He rubbed Atridrutam's sides. "I'll be sure to find a quiet and comfortable place for you if I do kit you while we travel."_

_She blanched and felt nauseous. _I don't want that... _She flinched as he gently stroked her belly and purred, obviously daydreaming about the kits he wished to put there. _No..!

_"If you're about to leave, then allow me my putri for a moment," her father said and the neko was gathered into his familiar embrace. "I wish you the safest of travels as well as good health, and I really hope that you come to terms with your problems and enlightenment." He rubbed his nose against hers. "Tvam kamiyami, putri."_

_Her throat tightened and her eyes started to sting, but she was spared from speaking as her mother embraced her next and then her brother. _

_"Let's go, before the sun begins to get high," the Simah father said._

_Komala wrapped an arm around her waist and slowly started to lead her away. Her legs were stiff and she couldn't lift her gaze from the ground. A few more people were up and wished her well as she passed, but she only felt more and more dread, the more "Good lucks" and "Wish you wells" she heard. The voices died down to silence as they slipped out of the village and onto the path towards the Simah territory. They'd have to watch out in the neutral areas between territories as loners roamed those lands and gladly stole unkitted females for themselves.  
_

_She flinched when a clawed finger hooked her chin and made her look up. "Why are you staring at the ground so intently, Leza? Has your stomach begun to hurt?"_

_"Ignore her," Pazuta grumbled. "She's just ashamed and defeated. Her mood should lighten after a while."_

_"What reason does she have to feel like that, pitr?"_

_His father smirked and shook his head. "She seems to have thought herself male until reality beat her over the head this morning. Her brother told me while you were lagging behind."_

_Komala laughed. "Male? What a silly thought!" He stopped walking and pulled her into an embrace. "I'm sorry that your dreams were crushed, but is it really so bad to be a female?" She cringed as he rubbed his bulbous nose against hers. "A very pretty one at that." He pressed his lips to hers._

_Atridrutam gasped and pushed away from him. She covered her mouth as she stared at him with large green eyes. Komala stared at her with puzzlement in his eyes and his father growled at her before reaching out and grabbing her by her hair._

_"Aah! Let go!"_

_"Pitr, what are you doing?!"_

_Pazuta dragged her close and began walking once more. "I don't condone disrespect, young female."_

_"Disrespect? Pitr, I just surprised her; don't punish her for little bad reaction." She felt Komala come behind her and gently extract her hair from his father's grip before pulling her into his arms._

_She pushed away again. "Please don't touch me..." _

_"What did I say; disrespect."_

_"Pitr, she was just fine until you punished her for no reason!"_

_"Females like her need to be taught their place, and if you won't do it then I'll gladly do it for you since you're too nice."_

_"I can control my submissive just fine!"_

_Atridrutam whimpered and covered her ears as the Simahs argued loudly, as was their nature; aggression and loudness that is. Without thinking she took a few steps away from them and earned another rough pull from Komala's father._

_"Trying to slip away are you?"_

Yes...

_"You're not going anywhere!"_

_She glared at him with renewed vigor and snatched away. "I refuse!"_

_"What did you say?"_

_"I refuse to go with you! And I won't bear his children! I refuse!"_

_Pazuta grinned cruelly. "Oh really? And where will you go? You can't simply return to you village, because they'll just hand you back to us, kicking and screaming."_

_Her eyes narrowed and she took another step back._

_"Leza?"_

_She turned on her heel and ran into the trees._

_"Atridrutam!"_

_She faltered and looked behind herself at the sound of her brother calling her. He was right behind her and her miss-step aided him in catching her. His claws dug into her skin as he grabbed her arm and swung her into the trunk of a tree. Air left her in a rush and she could barely put up a fight as Zusma gripped her wrists in one hand and pinned them above her head._

_"Pitr knew you would try something like this!" he hissed._

_Atridrutam began to thrash in his grip. "Let go! Let go of me!"_

_"No, you can't run away from this! Or do you want to bring shame on our family?"_

_"I don't care! Let go of me! I'm not doing this, you can't make me!"_

_"Is that a challenge? Ugh!"_

_She removed her knee from between her brother's thighs and when his grip loosened, brought her fist down on his head. Zusma fell, and she spared no glance as she ran off._

* * *

It didn't bode well that Zusma returned without his sister, and his father felt more unease when Zusma took him to the side to speak in private to him. The younger neko had his arms crossed over his chest and he couldn't seem to stand still or meet his father's eyes, the green orbs darted everywhere around the room except at the chief.

His father crossed his own arms._ "What happened?"_

Zusma pursed his lips and met his father's eyes. _"She wasn't lying. Atridrutam has a kit... and an alpha. A human alpha..."_

_"Human?! Are you sure? Did you meet him?"_

_"Yes, father, I met him, and he's really protective of little sis."_

He shook his head in disbelief. _"This is... And she's had a kit with this human?"_

_"Thankfully no, the kit belongs to another alpha. One she ran away from."_

_"Why?"_

_"Apparently he hurt her and the kit so she took him away. At least that's what the kit told me." Zusma shook his head. "She probably deserved some punishment, but I wonder why he was hurting the kit too... Anyway, there's no way I could ever convince her to come home, so I figured that I'd take you to her. You're really the only one she ever listened to."_

_He sighed and scratched the clump of fuzz on his chin. "You're right about that." He sighed. "I guess I'll prepare for travel..."  
_

_"Tomorrow though. It's getting quite late after all."_

Night passed quickly for them, and as the sun began to rise they headed out, as they had already gathered supplies and appointed a temporary leader to watch over the village the day before. The nekos travel in silence for the six hour walk to the edge of the human village where Atridrutam's nest was._  
_

_"It should be just ahead,"_ Zusma murmured, breaking the long silence.

Very soon they came to a wooden barrier and Zusma instructed for him to peer over after he did so as well. It was a human-style nest as he expected. Laughter drew his attention to the grass where two kits played. From the corner of his eye he saw his son vault over the barrier and followed. They stayed lower to the ground at they approached the two kits.

The white one who looked much older than the the dark one noticed the adult nekos while they were still far off, and the small frown he wore turned into a fearsome scowl. He spoke to the dark one softly as he tugged him to his feet and slowly led him to the nest.

Zusma spoke before they could escape into the safety of the nest; the chief was very impressed by how calm and collected the white kit was. _"Wait, stoka bidalika."_

The white one glared while the other gasped and turned around. His strange eyes went wide and he didn't resist when he was pulled behind the older kit's body.

_"What's wrong? It's me, your Matula Zusma."_

The dark one hid his face behind the other's back._ "I don't like you anymore..."_

_"What? But why?"_

_"You made momma cry and smell bad, I don't like you anymore. Go away."_

Zusma took a step forward and the kits took one back. _"When did I do such a thing?"_

_"Before you left."_

_"I don-"_

_"Zusma,"_ the eldest neko finally said. _"It seems that you've done some damage, and I suggest that you leave while I talk to Atridrutam."_

_"But father, I-"_

_"Go and set up camp,"_ he growled with finality. His son huffed and left under his hard gaze. He looked back to the kits who had inched closer to the entrance of the nest while he wasn't looking. In an effort to make the kits calm, he laid down on his stomach and lowered his ears. The white kit's glare didn't falter, but the dark one was at least peeking out at him. _"May I meet with your mother?"_

_"No, I don't know you. Besides, you'll probably make momma cry too."_

He smiled at the young protective kit. _"I wouldn't do that to your mother. She's my daughter after all."_

x~x

Ulqui looked to the clock and saw that it was nearly one in the afternoon. He sighed and set his yarn and knitting needles to the side, and headed to the kitchen to make lunch for Pantera and Toshiro who were still playing in the backyard. He went to the fridge and looked inside for a moment before deciding to make one of the recipes Jushiro taught him.

He felt better, despite his brother's visit the previous day, but kind of regretted insisting that Grimm go to work that morning; he just wanted the caring human near him.

Expelling yet another breath, he gathered cheese cubes and ham from the refrigerator, and then the box of pretzel sticks from the cupboard. The recipe was very simple, but rather tasty. Slice the ham into strips, wrap a strip around a cube of cheese, and poke a pretzel stick through it to hold it all together. Ulqui made quite a few of the simple treats, and cleaned up.

He was pouring glasses of water when he heard the side door open and shut.

"_Matr_?" he heard his son say behind him. Ulqui noticed his hesitant tone and turned to see that he was fidgeting as well with his ears and tail drooping.

"What's wrong?" the mama-cat asked as he gently pushed a ham and cheese snack into his small hand.

Pan took a nibble of the snack and finally met his eyes. "There a man in the back who say he your poppy."

Ulqui tensed, but forced himself to relax in front of his kit. "What does he look like?"

"Brown hair with gray stripes, and yellow eyes."

_Yep, that's father... _he thought sadly. "Where's Shiro?"

"Right here, Mrs. Ulquiorra," Toshiro murmured and stepped into the kitchen. "Should we call the police? Maybe just Mr. Jaegerjaquez?"

Ulqui shook his head and turned to pick up the plate of snacks and move them to the island, and then the glasses of water. "Eat. I'll... I'll go speak with the visitor."

"Are you sure?" Toshiro asked as he helped Pan climb on the tall stool at the island.

"Yes," Ulqui murmured and headed for the glass door.

His heart was heavy as he descended the three steps to the grassy lawn and slowly rounded the house to reach the back. The figure standing there, arms crossed over a muscular chest, golden eyes staring emotionless at him, and posture alert and tense, made Ulqui freeze and his throat tightened. He trembled and he felt himself curling in on himself as his father walked towards him. His eyes were locked on to the ground by the time his father was a few inches away.

_"Look at me..."_

Ulqui flinched and slowly lifted his gaze. He swallowed, but his throat remained dry. _"F-Father..."_

_"I am greatly disappointed and ashamed of you, Atridrutam... You ran away from your home, and brought shame to your family all because of a selfish, misguided belief that you were male, and therefore exempt from your duty. You assaulted your brother in your escape, and left your alpha and his father behind! Angry Simahs are not **pleasant** to deal with and nearly impossible to pacify! And-!"_

Ulqui tensed and dropped his gaze.

_"-you made your mother and me sick with worry..."_

Ulqui let his shoulder's fall from their hunched position and carefully looked back up at his father. He was shocked to see tears forming and falling from those golden pools.

_"My daughter. I missed you so much." _He pulled Ulqui into a warm, crushing embrace, and Ulqui's face crumbled with a low sob. He buried his face into his father's chest and wept.

_"I missed you too, father!"_ The neko clung to his father as he shook with sobs and felt his father's hot tears dampening the top of his head. They stayed like that for a while, locked in each other's embrace and weeping until his father finally pulled away and cupped his cheeks and wiped away stray tears with his thumb. Ulqui snuffled one more time. _"I... I'm sorry, father..."_

The older neko let out a breathy chuckle and a small smile spread across his face._ "You can make it up to me by introducing me to my grandson."_

Ulqui grew his own hardly noticeable, miniscule smile and led his father into the nest.

_"You liar!"_

Ulqui lifted his eyebrows in surprise at his kit's sudden out-burst.

Pan hopped off of the stool and stomped up to the neko that was his grandfather._ "You said that you wouldn't make momma cry!"_ He pressed his small hands against the taller's leg and pushed. _"You can't be here anymore! You're bad!"_

The soft scold that Ulqui had had for the kit evaporated. _"Runt, it's okay. They were happy tears; I was very happy to see my father."_

The kit looked up at his mother, but did not remove his hands from his grandfather's leg. _"He really is your poppy?"_

Ulqui's father squatted so that he was face to face with Pan. "Yes, and that means that I'm your grandfather," he murmured.

Pan cocked his head to the side, and earned an ear scratch. _"Matamaha*?_" he repeated the new word, getting a feel for it on his small mouth. _"Are you a good grandpoppy?"_

_"I hope so."_ He gathered Pantera into his hairy, thick arms, and returned to his full height. Ulquiorra noticed a warmth building up in his chest at the sight of his son in his father's arms. It was a cozy sight; one that he wouldn't have ever guessed he'd see. He returned his focus to the old neko when he spoke. _"I was told that you only had one kit."_

The mama-cat felt a twinge of guilt at the reminder that Toshiro was there; the poor snow-colored kit had no way of knowing what was going on, what with the language barrier. _"Oh, that is Toshiro. He is not mine."_ Toshiro perked up at the mention of his name, and Ulqui looked to him. "Toshiro, this is my father."

Toshiro bobbed his head politely to the elder. "He won't try to take either of you away, right?"

"No." _I hope not._

Toshiro didn't seemed convinced but dropped the matter anyway, and went back to his snack. Pan joined him after being put down, and began relaying information to him.

_"Now,"_ Ulqui tensed at the stern tone his father had taken, _"where is this_ human _alpha of yours?"_

_"He won't be back until later."_ He looked at the clock on the stove and back at his father. _"Much later. And with an attitude like that, I'm not sure I want you meeting him."_

_"What attitude would you expect? My daughter does not belong with a weak human who can probably barely protect her. Besides, they are enemies to our existence."_

_"Gimm-pitr isn't bad!"_ Pan yelled before shoving a snack in his mouth. _"He's better than everybody ever."_

_"I agree,"_ Ulqui murmured fondly. _"And he's treated me much better than any other male I've met and known in life. Barring you of course. He's my alpha and I'm his submissive so please respect him."_

His father's hand came up, and Ulqui flinched, fearing a hit, but his father only touched the collar around his neck. _"You are his pet. I refuse to respect my daughter's slaver."_

The green-eyed neko pursed his lips and batted away the offending hand before returning to his comfy spot on the couch where his knitting still laid. He pick up the craft and continued it, hoping his upset mood was obvious to his father, and did not intend on talking to him anymore until Grimm got home.

His father noticed, thankfully, and instead tried to speak to his grandson. The kits ignored him as well. Defeated, he took a seat next to Ulquiorra and quietly watched the neko knit.

The old neko could just suffer in silence for now.

b~~~d

Grimmjow bobbed his head and hummed to the music coming from the radio. He was glad to be heading home, and his mood was made better by the excellent day of work he had that day (not to busy and not too slow with nice, interesting customers at the counter). _Back to the wife and kid._ He smiled at the thought, and became more eager to get home and flop out on the couch with Pan probably getting comfy on his chest. He tsked; that probably wouldn't happen since Toshiro was supposed to be spending the night. Oh well.

_"You're listening to 116.0 The Cruise. This is your captain DayVee at the helm, bringing tunes to suit everyone's tastes. I gotta interrupt your voyage to bring you the weather report. Looks like the weatherman was- no surprise- wrong; batten down the hatches 'cuz we're sailing into a storm. Sail safely, everyone. And speaking of 'sail', why don't we listen to that? The one by Awolnation, of course. Enjoy."_

The initial thump of the base rocked the carriage of his truck, and he sang along with the singer. He pulled into the driveway sometime later and cut the engine, but didn't exit until the song finished. There was a warm welcoming glow coming through the front window that beckoned to him and he was soon braving the short walk in the cold wind to the front door of the little home.

"Dah! Geez, you always get me with that!" Grimmjow said when he opened the door to find his resident adult neko standing right before him. The disgruntlement passed and he cupped the back of Ulqui's head with one hand and brought him in for a light brushing of the lips. Sky-blue brows came together when Ulqui didn't respond to the kiss. "What's wrong?" he murmured. "You still thinking about your brother?"

Ulqui looked down to his hands, which were busying themselves with cleaning the underside of his sharp nails, and peered back at Grimm. _"...My father's here..."_

With all of the practice in Ulqui's native tongue, the human was getting better and faster at translating.

He groaned and hung his head when the translation dawned on him. He looked up and around and his eyes landed on the large neko seated- legs crossed under him and arms crossed over his chest- and glaring at him from the couch. Grimm groaned again and put his face in his palm. _I should've known such a great day was too good to be true._

"How long has he been here?" he sighed out the question.

_Ulqui_ looked pensive as he shrugged. "Since one."

_"If he cannot understand our tongue than he is a waste of time to be with, Atridrutam,"_ the neko on the couch grumbled.

Grimmjow uncovered his face and held up a hand to mean "back up" to the neko. _"I understand the tongue fine, stay out this, please."_ He looked back to Ulqui. "Why didn't you call me?"

"It wasn't necessary; he's not my brother."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"He won't try to drag me back to the village until he completely understands the situation." The neko grew what Grimm came to know as his apologetic face, and he expelled another breath and embraced him.

"I'm not mad, but just imagine how freaked out I would've been if I came home and you and Pan were gone."

Ulqui looked down. "I hadn't thought of that... forgive me..."

"It's... It's okay. Let's get this over with."

His neko wife nodded and led him over to his father who stood as they approached. Grimm bowed his head in respect for the elder in the room.

_"Welcome to my nest, I am Grimmjow."_

The neko looked mildly impressed by Grimm's polite welcome. _"I am Vegatama*."_

_"If you don't mind, I bathe when get home."_

_"Don't let me stop you."_

Grimmjow bobbed his head and went towards the back of the house. He peeked into the extra room and his annoyed mood lightened at the sight of Pantera passed out on the floor next to an alert Toshiro who was in the middle of assembling a large puzzle. He waved to the older kit.

"Welcome home, Mr. Grimmjow."

The bluenet smiled. "That's a mouthful; just call me Grimm."

He shrugged. "Okay, Mr. Grimm."

The human shook his head and made his way to the bathroom.

He took a quick shower, using the time to clean the smell of food from his pores and hair. He barely heard Ulquiorra slip in to recover his coat and boots which he had failed to remove at the door. He exited the shower to also find his pyjamas on the toilet and the rest of his clothes gone. He donned the soft shirt and flannel pants happily and left the steamy bathroom.

Vegatama was seated at the island and the sparse clatters and thuds told Grimm the Ulqui was starting dinner. He joined him in the kitchen and after a quick chat started on the meat portion of dinner while Ulqui continued to cut up vegetables for a salad.

Vegatama broke the silence as Grimm threw the cut up steak into the pan. _"Why do you keep my daughter?"_

Grimm worked automatically, his hands darting out to pull spices from the cabinet and dust the meat with them before pouring on a little soy sauce and some Worcestershire sauce. He gave the meat a stir and then let it sit as he spoke.

_"I love him. Him and Pan."_ He grinned at Ulqui and saw him blush and hide a small smile.

Vegatama grunted, probably not believing Grimm in the least, and asked another question. _"How did you come across my daughter?"_

Grimm chuckled. _"A big mess really. I scared Pantera and panic and grabbed him. Then Ulqui appears, ready to kill me, but I... I um..."_ Grimm paused, trying to find the best way to put this so that the old neko wouldn't kill him out right. _"... took Pan so that he wouldn't."_ Vegatama growled low in his throat, but Grimm continued despite the threat. _"He followed me back to my..._ Ulqui do you have 'truck' in your language?"

Ulquiorra shook his head, and took up the end of the story. _"I followed him back to his wheeled box, and he captured he and brought me here. I hated him for a while, but I realized that it was safer here with him than out there without someone to help protect Pantera and eventually I began to see him as my alpha. I fell in love with him soon after."_

_"I've heard of females falling in love with the one who holds them hostage, how can I be sure that your relationship with this human is not that?"_

_"Because I'd still kill him if he tried to hurt my kit."_

Grimm gave him a pained look. "Hey."

Ulqui gave him an unapologetic look. _"My kit's safety always comes first."_

Grimm shook his head and stirred the meat. _"I guess I understand that, but I never hurt him!"_

_"I know that, but the threat still remains."_

_"You still scary and cold like the day I met you."_ Grimm kissed his cheek. _"Never change."_

Vegatama's low chuckle drew their attention, and Grimm was surprised to see that the old cat's threatening countenance had softened into a soft stern one. _"I believe you now, though I still do not like it. Besides it's nice to know that my daughter is with an alpha that she is not likely to run away from. Even if the alpha is human. I'll have to break the news to your brother."_

_"Oh, where is Zusma?"_ Grimm asked, realizing that Vegatama had to have been led to the house by him.

_"I had him leave to set up camp when the kit spoke of how badly he behaved."_

_"You should go get him,"_ Grimm offered.

_"There's no need to bring him here."_

_"There is; it's supposed to storm. You two will stay here in the nest for tonight."_

His silver speckled brows rose. _"Oh? Well, I thank you for your hospitality."_ He slipped of the seat and headed for the glass doors. _"I will be back shortly."_

The dinner was done and Pantera was up and about by the time he returned with Zusma on his heels. Grimmjow wiped his hands off on a towel in the kitchen and stormed up to the young man.

_Thwack!_ "Umph!" Zusma fell to the floor grasping his nose after Grimmjow's fist had connected with it.

_"If you make my mate cry again, you'll get triple that and you'll be out in the rain! Got it, zatha*?"_

Zusma glared daggers at him but nodded nonetheless.

Grimmjow cracked his knuckles before retrieving a paper towel for the neko's bleeding nose. _"I hope you don't mind," _he murmured to Vegatama.

_"Oh, no. My son has a fat head; maybe a few more hits will humble him."_

_"Father!"_

_"Don't 'father' me, Zusma. You know that I'm right."_

Grimm smirked and motioned towards the table. _"Come, the evening meal is ready." _The human tugged over a stool from the island so that he could sit at the head of the table, and Pantera was adamant that he get to sit in Grimm's lap. Toshiro sat to his left with Ulqui on the other side of him, and Zusma was to his right with Vegatama next to him.

_"What is this?" _Zusma questioned after everyone except him and his father dug in to the meal.

Pantera helpfully answered as Grimm's mouth was quite full. _"Steak salad. It's yummy, eat it."_

Zusma picked up a leaf of lettuce and sniffed it._ "It's very odd."_

Grimm swallowed his mouthful. _"Just eat it. It's not going to kill you."_

Zusma glowered at him but shoved the leaf into his mouth anyway.

_"Eeeew! Don't eat with your hands! Use a fork!" _Pan cried in disgust.

Grimm snorted and nearly choked on a bite of salad.

The rest of the meal went by in silence other than the sounds of eating, and once finished Grimm washed the dishes while Ulqui got the kits ready for a bath.

"_Matr _can we have a bath together?"

Ulqui nodded, the excitement of the day having died down enough for him to return to his usual comfortable silence.

"Yay! Shi-o, you should come too! Please?"

The older kit sighed and agreed earning another cheer from Pan.

"Hey, Shiro," Grimm called over the rush of water and clinking of dishes. "I have to take apart your puzzle, our guests are staying in that room."

"That's okay, I'll just put it back together before Ms. Matsumoto picks me up tomorrow." He turned and followed Pan and Ulqui to the bathroom.

Grimm finished the dishes, and put away the extra salad and returned to the dining room where Zusma and Vegatama still sat, murmuring quietly to each other. He heard the tail end of the conversation before they noticed him and went quiet.

_"... don't trust him. He's charmed her or something, I-" _Zusma cut off when his father stared pointedly and Grimm from over the younger's head. Zusma turned around in his seat and looked to the human as well.

Grimm sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. _"I'm not charming him..."_

_"Stop that!" _Zusma ordered.

_"What?" _Grimm asked.

_"Stop saying 'he' when you are referring to my sister."_

_"Son, don't be rude about it, he's new to our tongue."_

_"No, father, he's well aware of what he's doing."_

_"Yeah, I am. I know that I call _Ulqui_ he and not she."_

_"Why do you call my daughter by that name as well?"_

_"He renamed them, and the kit wanted him to change my name as well!"_

Grimm laughed. _"Pan tell me he say that. What do you think about name _Murcielago_?"_

_"Na kadapi*!" _Zusma hissed harshly.

Vegatama placed a calming hand on his son's shoulder, and the neko relaxed out of his tensed posture. _"Back to why you call my daughter 'he'."_

_"Well because he... he..." _Grimm scratched his chin. _"One sec." _He left the nekos and headed to the bathroom, knocking before entering. Inside the mama-cat and the two kits were in the tub, Ulqui had his hair braided and wrapped around his head to keep it dry. Pantera was straddling one of his thighs, facing away and towards Shiro as his hair was scrubbed. Toshiro was leaning against the opposite end of the tub, idly playing with a plastic boat. Ulqui looked to Grimm and asked what he needed, his hands never faltering from their thorough scrub.

"How do you say 'identifies as'?"

_"'Pindi karoti,' _why?"

"I'm trying to explain something, but I got stuck. Thanks, babe." He closed the door and went back to the men. _"_Ulqui_ pindi karoti hindira*," _he told them.

Zusma scoffed. _"You shouldn't encourage her."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"My sis has always thought that she was male, it's better not to encourage her; she's female after all."_

_"_Uqui _is both so he decide which one he... identify as," _Grimm protested, stumbling over the new word.

_"You shouldn't leave such a decision up to a female, especially a confused one. My little sister can bear kits therefore she is female. You should-"_

Grimm put up a hand. _"I stop you there, because I feel you will offend me. I go fix the room for you both now." _The human quickly left the nekos behind.

b~~~d

Vegatama felt that the room Grimmjow had allowed them to stay in was rather luxurious. In fact the entire nest was luxurious, and large; three neko families could fit comfortably in it, he was sure. It was also safe, and warm though it didn't muffled out outside sounds any better than their huts, and he was sure he heard Pantera start crying after a particularly loud boom of thunder earlier in the night.

Zusma was fast asleep, no doubt tired after such a long eventful day. The storm outside didn't stir him at all.

_Kra-ka-TOOM!_

His ears flattened to his skull at the sound. With a sigh he sat up. Being in a foreign environment made him too alert to sleep restfully, and the storm was stopping him from even dozing. He pushed the plush blanket off and stood, his movement stirred his son.

_"Hmm... what?"_

_"Go back to sleep, I'm just wandering." _Vegatama snickered at how fast his son did just that.

He didn't need to figure out how the lights worked due to his superior night vision and utilized only that as he moved around the room. In the corner were a few piles of folded clothes covered in his daughter and grandson's scents. He unfolded a few to see that they were more of the same human attire that they had both worn that day but of different colors and some even of different materials. It didn't sit well, seeing Atridrutam in what he was sure was a human male's attire. He refolded the clothes and put them back in their piles.

He stood and prepared to leave the room, when he instead headed for the door on the other side. It was a tiny room with clothes hanging. His eyes locked onto a familiar style of clothing and he smiled. Kimonos. Very extravagant ones at that. This was what his beloved, wayward daughter should be wearing. Only one, which was white and silver, appeared worn, while another was obviously very old, and the other two were unworn. Perhaps he could convince her to wear this in the morning?

Vegatama smoothed the material of one of the kimonos and finally left, closing the door behind himself. He made it out of the room this time, and into the dark, quiet hall. To his right was the room the others were in. When he noticed that the door was slightly ajar he couldn't resist a peek.

They all reposed on a raised mat that fit them all comfortably. Grimm was on the end closest to the door like a good male of the house should, Pantera was nested against his chest, tear streaks marring his cheeks, with his daughter snuggled behind him, and the white kit Toshiro was on the other side of Atridrutam. The only thing that bothered him was that Grimm had not awakened; a mated male should never sleep so soundly that he doesn't notice an intruder enter the bedroom. This wouldn't do.

Grimmjow suddenly flinched and lurched up as if he'd heard Vegatama's thoughts. His blue eyes went wide before blinking sleepily, and he rubbed them, muttering what could've only been curses in his tongue.

_"What? Why you here?" _he snapped.

Pantera whimpered and turned to snuggle into his mother's chest, waking her. She muttered a few things, but Grimm shushed her and gently pressed her head back down. Grimm looked back to him. _"Well?"_

_"I... only wanted to test something... you did well."_

_"Wha...What? What you talk about?" _he slurred, his words barely forming what could be called sentences in his dazed state.

Vegatama shook his head and headed out of the room. _"I'll speak with you later, go back to sleep, narya jamatr*"_

* * *

Yay! Here you go, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I gotta say, while writing this, I ended up building Grimm's job in Sims 4 as well XD! It's called The Hunter's Palate in the Gallery. And about Grimm's great day at work, I speak from experience; I worked the counter and register at a deli/diner style restaurant and the best days were when the customers were nice and talkative, and it wasn't too busy so you could indulge in some casual conversations with them._  
_

I also wanted to point out that the radio interruption part was full of small references! The station 116.0 eludes to the episode Grimm popped up in (116) and the radio host is his voice actor (Da)vid (V)incent. Thought you guys'd like that.

**TL;DR**: I play Sims 4 and I made The Hunter's Palate and Grimm's House; Job experience; References are awesome!

Anyway! Thanks for reading! Pretty please leave a review and have a wonderful day/night/something in between!_  
_

**_Dictionary: (It's slowly getting bigger and bigger)  
_**

_Anuja:_ Little sister

_Atridrutam: _Very fast

_Jyestha:_ Big brother

_Komala:_ Gentle

_Lajjalu:_ Shy

_Leza: _Littleness

_Matr_: Mother

_Mauna:_ Silence

_Na kadapi: _Never

_Narya jamatr: _(I'll tell you next chapter ;))

_Pazuta: _Brutality

_Pindi karoti hindira_: Identifies as male (Lit. Identify with male; I tried but that phrase may be very wrong XD)

_Pitr_: Father

_Putra:_ Son

_Putri_: Daughter

_Simah_: Lion

_Vegatama_: Fastest

Zatha: Rascal, Rogue, Miscreant (I really wanted to use punk, but that word wasn't available TT_TT)

_Zusma_: Strength


	10. IX: Family

**_Please Read!_**

Someone brought up that it'd be a good idea to have a dictionary, so I wrote one up! The **Dictionary will always be the last chapter of the story **so if you need it, then you know where to find it, but I'll be posting it much later today to save some confusion in updating. I wouldn't want readers getting confused and thinking I updated **just** for the dictionary :D

* * *

The old neko finally found sleep late in the night when the storm had let up quite a bit, and when he awakened the next morning he left the bedroom to find that the human, Grimmjow, was gone, and his daughter was cooking for the kits. He gave them both pats on the head - the white one glared at him for the action - and asked Atridrutam about the odd colored human's whereabouts.

Vegatama watched her fix plates of food for them all as she answered. _"He went to work, he'll be back later."_ She set the plates at the table and the kits gravitated towards it and both took a seat behind a plate and began to eat.

_"Does he always leave you in the nest unattended?"_ he asked. His daughter nodded and he frowned. He didn't like that; an alpha shouldn't leave their submissive home alone regularly, especially if they would be gone as long as he'd been the previous day. He'd be sure to talk to the human about that.

"_Matr_, I thought Gimm-_pitr _have to go to work later..." Pantera murmured. "And why did he go early yesterday too?"

Atridrutam sat at the table with her own plate of food after having made a plate for Vegatama. "He said he had to work first-shift for the next few weekends, because someone called off."

"Oh, okay."

Vega went to his daughter and grabbed her arm before she could dig into her morning meal. _"Before you eat, will you come do something for me?"_

She cocked her head and let him pull her away to the room he had been staying in. He left her to stand in the middle of the room and went to the closet. He returned with the white kimono in his hands.

_"Will you wear this, putri? It'd make me very happy."_

A flicker of a smile appeared and disappeared on her face. _"Yes, but not that one; it's too thick. I'll get my other one from below."_

Below? Vegatama hadn't even been aware that there was something beneath the house, let alone that his daughter seemed to store clothing down there. He replaced the heavy kimono, and followed her out into the hall and to a door. She opened it revealing stairs that led into darkness, and mounted them.

At the bottom, she told him to stay where he was and quickly walked off. When she returned from somewhere behind a stack of boxes she was wearing a beautiful yellow kimono.

Vegatama smiled and opened his arms for a hug. He kissed her head while they embraced. _"_Sundaram drzyase_, putri..."_

_"Dhanyavada, father."_

He chuckled at the feeling of déjà vu he felt before taking her hand and preceding her up the stairs. _"Where is your brother by the way?"_ he asked as he sat at the table with everyone else.

Atridrutam only shrugged.

After the meal was done and his daughter had washed the dishes, the kits went to the back to assemble the broken picture he'd seen earlier and the adults joined them in the room. Atridrutam settled on a huge cushion with the string craft she'd been working on the previous day and Vegatama sat nearby to watch. He was fascinated by how she moved her sticks to turn the thick string into elegant knots and weaves, and amazed by how fast she did it.

_"What are you making?" _He finally asked when she paused momentarily to yawn.

She stretched out her back, making it pop as bones readjusted. _"It will be a blanket hopefully. I'm not very good at this yet, though."_

_"Not good? This looks amazing."_

_"You say that because you haven't seen this sort of thing before." _She reached over and grabbed a flimsy book, and handed it to him. The cover showed a human woman finishing off what looked to be a hat, and he flipped through to find more pictures of women with string crafts and what looked to be instructions on how to make them. He sighed, his daughter's craft, while beautiful, was indeed quite novice, but there was always room for improvement.

There was a knocking sound and Atridrutam lurched to her feet. She left the room.

"That is probably Ms. Matsumoto," the white kit, Toshiro, said though Vegatama did not understand him.

Pantera pouted. "I don' want you to go yet..."

"I'll be back, don't worry."

The kits shared a warm hug, and Toshiro gathered up the broken picture to put into its box. He put it into a well-crafted canvas knapsack and left the room with it.

Vegatama picked Pantera up and followed the other two nekos to the front where an orange-haired human female was waiting with his daughter. She was loud as she made her happy mood known and yanked Toshiro into her bosom. The white kit protested with a few growled words and she set him back on his feet with a laugh. The human noticed him and pointed subtly with a cock of her head.

Atridrutam said something to her and then looked to him. _"Father, this is _Toshiro's_ caretaker, _Rangiku Matsumoto_." _Vega bobbed his head to her.

They exchanged words before Rangiku went to grab Toshiro, intending on leaving, and the kit batted away her hand and headed out of the door. The orange-haired woman only laughed and followed.

_"Does Toshiro not like her?" _he asked when the door was closed, but he only got a shrug from his daughter.

_"_Shi-o_ likes her," _Pan answered. _"I think he's just scared to like her more."_

Vega's eyebrows came together and he kneeled in front of the remaining kit. _"What do you mean? Why would he not want to like her more?"_

_"_Shi-o's_ parents are dead," _Pantera answered.

Vega murmured a pitying, "Oh." He pet Pan admiringly; the kit was so wise despite his age.

_"Matamaha?" _Pantera asked as Vegatama picked him up and followed Atridrutam back to the room they'd been in. _"Do you have a mate?"_

He smiled._ "Yes, she's your Matamahi*."_

The kit murmured the word a few times as he'd done "grandfather" the previous day. _"Will I meet her?"_

_"I'll see what I can do. Is that alright with you, putri?"_

She stopped the clicking of her weaving sticks and looked to him thoughtfully before returning to the craft. _"Yes, I've missed her." _There was another knock, louder this time, and she groaned and set the craft to the side.

Pan looked around. _"Shi-o didn't leave anything."_

They all headed back to the front, and Vega flinched and hid behind a barrier wall when the door opened to reveal an unfamiliar human male. He let out a low growl.

b~~~d

Ulqui was annoyed. Just when he was getting back to knitting, another knock sounded to interrupt him. He groaned and left to see who it was at the door, as he knew such a loud knock had not come from Rangiku.

It was Shunsui.

The brown-haired male looked worried and a tad bit confused as he looked at Ulqui. "I thought so," he murmured and then jutted a thumb in the direction of his home down the cul-de-sac. "Hey Ulqui. There's a body double of you in my yard."

Ulquiorra sighed. What was Zusma up to? He moved to follow him out of the house when there was a snarl behind him.

"Whoa! Who's that?!" Shunsui demanded, pointing rudely.

"My father," he told him simply and turned to the elderly neko. _"Zusma's doing something in his territory. I'm just going to get him."_

_"I'm coming with you," _he said, grabbing his arm while sizing up Shunsui with his fierce eyes.

"Big guy, ain't he?" Shunsui said as he studied Vegatama back.

Ulquiorra brushed his father's hand off. _"Shunsui has a mate and three kits, I'm in no danger, father." _They met eyes and after a moment his yellow eyes looked away. _"I'll be right back, stay in the nest." _He left and shut the door behind himself.

The brunet human led him to his similarly styled house, but instead of going to the front door, he went through the gate of the chain link fence. What he saw in their backyard made his indifferent façade falter.

Nami and Rakurai were standing guard, with baseball bats, over his prone older brother. Katen was there as well but she had a baseball in each hand cocked to chuck them at his head with all her might if he moved.

Rakurai, the younger twin, saw him and smiled. "Hey, Auntie Ulqui! We caught your doppelgänger!"

"He hopped over the fence like a sly thief, and we got him good!" Nami cheered.

Katen held up the baseballs and waved them gleefully. "I got 'em in the nuts!"

"Katen," Jushiro scolded from where he was seated on the back porch.

The little girl made a wounded pout. "But I did..."

_"For the love of the Gods, save me from these demon kits," _Zusma's muffled plea came.

Ulqui bit his lip, but a snort slipped and he covered his mouth with both hands.

Nami gasped. "Auntie Ulqui laughed!"

The mama-cat shook his head and mercifully shooed the kids away from the felled neko allowing for him to sit up. _"What were you doing trespassing in their territory?"_

_"I was just looking around!" _Zusma claimed. _"I wouldn't have come but I saw white hair and thought they might be the Toshiro kit's kin."_

Ulqui crossed his arms and shook his head.

"So?" Shunsui asked expectantly.

"He saw white hair and got curious," he explained curtly.

Shunsui scratched his chin. "Ah, well tell him 'Curiosity killed the cat.'"

"Aw, boo, that was bad," Nami groaned.

"Real bad, dad. Like bad with a side of bad on rye," Rakurai seconded.

"Satisfaction brought him back," Katen piped up. She received a look and shrugged. "It did." She was booed as well.

"So who is that guy anyway?" Nami and Rakurai asked in unison.

Ulqui was about to answer when the girl suddenly pointed and screamed, "There's another one!"

Shunsui grabbed her hands before she could throw a ball at Vegatama's head. "Whoa, whoa, that's your Auntie Ulqui's father. Ah, so then that must be your brother, huh?" Ulquiorra nodded and he grinned as if pleased with himself. "There yah go, just give me a second, and this old brain of mine'll figure things out."

"37 isn't old, honey," Jushiro chided him.

The twins tugged Ulquiorra's kimono sleeves. "Are we in trouble for beating him up?" Nami asked.

Ulqui looked over and watched as his brother got to his feet and leaped over the fence to receive a swat on the head from their father. "No, he deserved it." He heard his son before seeing him peek over Vegatama's shoulder. The older neko took hold of the kit's scruff and carefully deposited him on the other side of the fence. Pan ran over to hug Katen and received some from her brothers as well. He allowed his kit to stay and chat and headed to the fence. _"I said stay in the nest..."_

_"I'm your father, I don't have to follow your orders; you follow mine," _ her father murmured. _"Now, who are those humans?"_

Slim lips pursed. _"They're friends. And you should follow my orders on this. To the humans you are an illegal; you could get my alpha and I in trouble. Go to the nest and **stay **there. I will be there shortly." _He turned and walked away so his father wouldn't be given chance to speak. Ulqui looked over his shoulder when he was near the humans again, and was relieved to see his father and brother gone.

"Wa-argh!"

Peals of laughter erupted as the kids all took Shunsui down and proceeded to rough him up. Jushiro laughed as she danced around the squealing dog-pile and to Ulqui's side. "So those nekos were your family?" At Ulqui's nod she continued. "I wouldn't have thought you'd kept in touch with them."

"They found me..."

She nodded and fought with her hair as the wind picked up and made it whip her face; Ulqui didn't have that problem as his was in a tight plait down his back. A red hair ring the ashen-haired woman had on her wrist rectified the situation. "How?"

"The area the village was in was taken over by humans."

"What? How awful!"

"The village is very close now."

She nodded and scratched her jaw as she thought, completely ignoring her husbands pleas for help. Ulqui looked and saw the twins struggling to hold him down while Katen tried to braid his brown locks; Pantera was watching Katen braid. They were truly demonic, but in the playful sense.

"I think..."

The mama-cat looked to Jushiro.

"... there's a site we can look up. It's for an organization that protects neko villages and clans in this state. Want me to see if I can find it?"

His eyebrows raised. "You'd do that?"

"Of course."

The side of his lip quirked at the human's kindness. He hesitantly reached over and took hold of her hand. He said, "Thank you," and quickly retracted his hand.

Jushiro smiled and went over to free her husband from the wrath of their spawn. Ulqui reclaimed his own kit as Juu pacified her kids with promises of treats.

"You spoil them," Shunsui groaned as he got to his feet and dusted off. "Rotten."

His daughter blew a raspberry at him and cheered as she was handed a lolli.

"I must go," Ulquiorra announced as he placed Pan on his hip. "My father will come for me if I stay."

Juu handed him four lollipops and wished him well before herding her children into the home. Shunsui offered to escort Ulqui home, but was turned down. He unwrapped one and gave it to Pan before leaving.

His father and brother were upon him when he entered the home. _"What?"_

_"_Grimmjow_ is one thing, and perhaps even the _Rangiku_ female since she has _Toshiro_, but I do not agree with you befriending other humans," _his father said. _"It's not safe."_

_"So you'd rather I was isolated?" _Ulqui challenged as he set Pantera on his feet. The kit looked to his mother before a hand gesture sent him to the back room.

Both older males crossed their arms. _"From humans, yes," _her father said.

_"Don't ask the impossible."_

_"It's not impossible, anuja. Especially, if you came home with us." _

A scowl graced his face and he looked to his father. _"And here I thought you'd accepted my choice in life."_

_"I am learning to accept _Grimmjow_, however I do not like you living here. The fact that you and _Pantera_ are left alone here regularly worries me."_

_"Your worries are unnecessary!" _Even Ulquiorra was a bit surprised by his tone of voice, but shoved the uneasy feeling way and continued. _"This nest is fine and has been nothing but a safe haven for me and my kit! And you should watch what you say about the humans I happen to like! One of them was even speaking of a way to help you and the clan."_

Vega growled lowly and grabbed the smaller neko by his jaw and pulled him close. They were nose to nose when he spoke. _"Watch your mouth, putri." _He released him and he stumbled back rubbing the spots his rough fingers had dug in. His countenance had returned to its default indifference.

_"We do not need the help of humans, anuja."_ Zusma spat.

_"Then I guess I'll go back over there and tell her not to bother."_

_"I'm not letting you go back there."_

_"So now I'm a prisoner in my nest? Father, you're really upsetting me now."_ He bumped by them and headed for the backroom. _"Pan doesn't like when I get upset, so I'm leaving."_

_"Come back here, _Atridrutam_," _her father ordered.

Ulqui glared back at them as he opened the door to his and Pan's room. _"That's not my name! It hasn't been for 7 years!" _

_Slam!_

Pantera's eyes were wide when Ulqui looked at him. Guilt bubbled up inside of him and he covered his face with his hands. "I'm sorry , _Ksudra_..."

The kit was seated on the large pillow, cuddling Kumbara close. "Why you and _Matamaha_ fighting?"

Ulqui let a loud exhale out through his nose as he began to undress. "My _pitr_ doesn't like our home and wants us to live in the village."

His face scrunched up in a mixture of thought and confusion. "But I like our home. It's where Gimm-_pitr_ is..."

Ulqui hung up the kimono in the closet and quietly closed it behind him. "I like our home too." He was feeling a bit spiteful towards his father and brother as he went to his clothes on the floor, but he wouldn't stoop to the level of a tantrum or out-rightly telling them off; he'd be subtle. He donned the another of the baggy outfits given to him during his and Pan's first week here. He was delighted that Grimm's scent was still faintly on it since he never really wore it. It was a light colored sweater with dark curling designs, and a pair of soft shorts that, while they would go to Grimmjow's knees, went to mid-shin on his slim legs. He slipped it on and joined Pantera on his Christmas pillow.

Ulqui sat with his head near his kits hip, and the rest of his body flowed off of it lazily. Pan leaned over and hugged his head. "We're staying here! We live here." he declared and kissed his mother's cheek.

Ulquiorra pressed a kiss to his knee; the only thing he could reach in his position._ I hope so..._

x~x

Grimmjow let out a sigh as he pulled into the driveway. Working diner shift on Sunday and Saturday took a lot out of a guy. Everyone was off work or school and filled the diner to the brim, entire families would take over two tables at a time, and order **so **much food, people would come in asking for drinks other than juice, milk, water, soda, or beer, and then would get upset when told that they only served wine or cocktails during restaurant hours. All-in-all, he couldn't wait for the usual weekend diner staff member to be back.

He groaned loudly along with the door of his truck as he slipped out of it, closed the door, and headed for the house.

He was met with glowing yellow eyes.

"Ga-ah! Geez, I see where he gets that from!"

Vegatama cocked his head as Grimm forced himself to breathe normally. _"What?"_

The bluenet cleared his throat. _"You and _Ulqui _do that. Stand in the dark at the door when I get __home. Your eyes glow and scare me."_

The neko scoffed before dragging the human into the house and shutting the door.

Grimm stumbled before brushing the heavy hand off and going for a light. He sat on the couch and pulled off his boots, flinching when Zusma vaulted over the back and sat on the farther end.

_"I don't like that you leave my putri here alone all the time." _

_"Hm? What's wrong with it?"_

_"It's not safe, she should be with you at... wherever you go."_

Grimm got up to put his boots by the door and hang his thick jacket up. _"He can come with me, but doesn't want to. I won't force him."_

_"You should. It's safer."_

The face the bluenet made was incredulous. _"What? No. It's safe here as with me. The nest is very safe."_

_"Not with all of these strange humans around," _Zusma contradicted.

_"The humans," _Grimm had to admit referring to his own species like that was rather odd, _"in this area are good. They wouldn't hurt him."_

_"We don't believe you." _Vegatama sighed and spoke again before Grimm could protest further. _"I would continue this disagreement, but we must return to the clan. We've been gone too long."_

_"You're leaving now?" _Grimm asked.

_"We'd have left earlier, but you weren't here," _Zusma told him.

_"Why you didn't tell _Ulqui _you had to leave? He could call me."_

_"We didn't know that,"_ Vegatama told him,_ "but had we have known, we wouldn't have been able to ask; she's stopped talking to us."_

It was that moment when the door to the back room opened and Ulqui stepped out with disheveled, slightly knotted hair, rubbing his eyes, and wearing only the big sweater that went to mid-thigh on him. His and Grimm's eyes met and the human beckoned him over and into a hug. Grimm chuckled at limp hug he was given, and swiped at the barely noticeable trail of dried spittle on his cheek with his thumb.

He kissed his alabaster cheek. "Hey, babe, sleep good?"

Ulqui grunted and shrugged a shoulder as he began sleepily grooming himself. Working out the tangles in his long hair and licking the side of his fist and using it to clean his cheeks and eyes. _He's so cute when he's half-asleep!_

"Your dad and brother are about to head out."

His emerald eyes seemed to awaken at that and he sent a sideways glance at the other two nekos. "Good," he grumbled.

Blue eyebrows rose. _"Wow, what did you do?" _he asked Vega.

The old neko shrugged. _"I don't wish to speak on it now, it'll only cause more problems. Putri, I must return home, now. I'll see you in later days."_

Ulqui looked at him and then looked away.

Vegatama sighed and rubbed his face. He stepped forward and hugged her from behind, earning a light growl, and lifting the sweater in the embrace. Grimm's eyebrows lifted again.

Zusma also said his goodbye, and they both left through the glass door.

After a moment, Grimm reached over and lifted the hem of the sweater. "You're wearing the blue lacies?"

Ulqui flushed and slapped his hand away. "I am doing laundry," he told him, but was unable to meet Grimm's eyes.

Grimm grabbed the neko and held him close with his large hands cupping his buttocks. The feel of the lace over the soft but firm flesh was amazing. "I wish you'd wear them more," he husked and claimed the other's lips. The sleepy male sighed and melted into the kiss, digging his fingers into Grimm's sleeves.

There was a gasp and then a giggle.

They broke their kiss and looked to see Pantera standing in the hall outside the door. His eyes were big and hopeful as he crushed Kumbara into his chest. "Am I gonna be a _jyestha_ now?"

Grimm let out a loud bark of a laugh. "I don't know-" he reached around and grabbed Ulqui's bum roughly "- is he?"

The mama-cat yelped in surprise, and, truly showing of his feline traits, twisted out of Grimm's grip, kicked away from him and landed on all fours a few feet away.

Grimm rebounded quickly and tackled his mate with a roar before he could get away . He wrapped his arms around his slim waist and rolled around with him. Pan giggled and joined in on tormenting his mother after putting his doll down.

The wayward family played until the adults grew breathless and laid out in exhaustion on the floor. Ulqui was sprawled, prone on the floor, and Grimm rested his head on the small of Ulqui's back, gently stroking his tail while Pan straddled his back and called for a game of horsey that wouldn't happen for quite some time.

"Feel better?"

"Mm hm."

"Good. Pan says you smell bad when your upset."

"Yeah, bitter 'n' sour," the kit chirped as he gently tugged his father's locks. "Now you're spicy 'n' chocolate, _matr_!"

Ulqui hid his face in his splayed arm and let out a single burst of a laugh.

Grimm turned his head and pressed a kiss right above his tail. With a smirk he stroked his exposed butt again. "I really wished you'd wear these more often."

Pan laughed. "_Matr's _butt is pretty! Can I have a pretty butt too?"

The human laughed and rolled over so that he could put the odd kit on his stomach. "I don't think they have underwear like that for kids, Pan."

His lower lip poked out in a stubborn pout. "But I want a pretty butt."

Grimm crushed his little head into his chest and laughed again.

Everyone went silent when a loud growl erupted from the bluenet's stomach.

Ulqui scooted from under Grimm's head and stood. "I'll make dinner."

Grimm stood as well with Pan tucked in his arm and went to sit at the island so that he could watch. He set the kit on the island and put his hands over his little kitten ears. "You know what you should do for me one day?"

"Hm?"

"One day, when Pan's not here, maybe he's at Toshiro's house or something, I don't know, but that day you should greet me wearing nothing but an apron and that underwear."

Ulqui looked at him over his shoulder with his eyebrows knitted. "Why?"

"Because it'd be sexy and I'd love it."

Ulqui grunted and turned back to what he'd been preparing. "Pervert."

Grimm let go of Pantera's ears and the kit whined at him in annoyance. "Now where'd you learn that word?"

"Jushiro calls Shunsui that sometimes. I don't know what it means, but it seems appropriate for you right now."

He shook his head.

Ulqui prepared warm muti-meated (ham, turkey, and roast beef) sandwiches for them all, with Grimm's being packed with more meat than the others. He paired it with, oddly enough, green apple slices, cheese cubes, and mini dill pickles. Very odd combo, but that was Ulqui for you.

The weird dinner turned out very good and best of all filling. Grimm stretched.

"Anyone up for a shower?" he asked.

Pantera looked at the clock and his ears flattened as he looked to his father with pleading eyes. "But _Cyberchase_'s coming on..."

Grimm shook his head and helped the kit down from his seat on the island. "Go watch _Cyberchase_." He looked to Ulqui. "What about you?"

"I'll join you." He got up and headed for the basement.

"Where're you going?"

"To get the laundry."

"So no more lacies?"

Ulqui shook his head and then cocked it. "You're acting strange today."

The bluenet shrugged. "I guess being around my _sayuj _when she's only in an over-large shirt and lacy underwear is getting to me, yah know?"

Ulqui shook his head and headed downstairs.

b~~~d

Pan was excitedly solving mysteries and problems using math with the cartoon kids and robot bird on the screen when Ulqui returned with the laundry basket full of clothes. He took it to the backroom to be folded after his shower, and recovered his pyjamas and a pair of underwear and joined Grimm in the bathroom.

He admired the human's toned backside as he bent over to remove his jeans and boxers. Ulqui gave it a gentle brush with his hand, startling his mate who lurched upright and sent him a lewd smirk.

Grimm started up the shower and Ulqui hopped in first. He raised his face to the spray and worked the water into his hair; it needed a good washing. Grimm's hands joined his, but his carried the shampoo needed to cleanse the long locks. He purred and let his hands drop as his human worked the hair soap into his scalp and the fur on his ears and tail with skilled fingers.

After the shampoo was washed away, Ulqui jolted when a soaped-up rag touched him.

"Relax, I'm just washing you."

Ulqui pushed away and soaped up a rag of his own. He turned and washed Grimm and Grimm continued to wash him. He delighted in the pecks he got as he washed the other's neck and chest and blushed when Grimm's rag dipped between his cheeks. Ulqui worked the rag lower.

"Uhmm..."

Ulqui's ears perked at the low moan and he looked down to actually look at what he was washing. Grimm's pride was nestled in his gray rag. He cocked his head as he continued to wash it; it seemed larger than usual. _So this is what a human's breeding fail safe is. _He let his rag fall and danced his fingertips over it.

Grimm hissed through his grit teeth and let himself lean against the cold tiles behind him. Something shockingly close to a purring growl escaped him. Ulqui grabbed him in one had and continued teasing it with the fingers of the other. He moved his hand eliciting more nice sounds from the human. He looked up to see his blue eyes half-lidded and his mouth slightly agape.

The neko liked that face. He liked that Grimm was letting him do this. He liked what he was grasping in his hand. He blushed at the next thought that popped into his head. _I want to feel this inside me... _He flinched at the particularly loud moan the bluenet let out and loosened the firm grip he'd taken on the other's manhood.

Grimm pulled him close and whispered breathlessly into his ear. "Stop teasing me. It's cruel."

The neko shuddered at the husky plea and helped his mate to release. It twitched before erupting onto their stomachs and his hand, and Grimm slumped a little. His pride softened in Ulqui's palm and he lifted his mired hand to his mouth and gave it a tentative lick.

The strength seemed to have returned to Grimm as he reached out and pulled Ulqui to his chest. He plundered the neko's mouth with his tongue and reached around to breach Ulqui's core with a finger.

Ulqui threw his head back with a gasp and moaned as the finger moved and was soon joined by another. His head was cradled and teeth nibbled at his throat.

_"Tvam kamiyami." _

Ulqui wanted to return the words but his ministrations only allowed moans and sighs to escape his mouth.

Grimmjow stopped his torment long enough to make Ulqui wrap a leg around his waist before slipping his fingers back into his lady-flower.

The neko moaned loudly when Grimm's digits went deeper than before. He came soon, his mate's fingers curled and digging into an especially sensitive spot in him, and his mouth suckling and biting harshly into his throat. His knees went rubbery, but Grimm held him tight through his climax and the aftershocks that shuddered through his body.

Grimm kissed him again, this time a quick brush of lips.

_"Tvam kamiyami, cittacaura*."_

Grimm chuckled and nipped at his swelling lips. "Ooo, 'heart thief'. I think I like that name." He rubbed noses. "Way better than 'honey' or something."

A small smile graced his lips.

They finally untangled themselves from each other after many moments passed and cleaned themselves. They refrained from cleaning each other lest they enter another bout of playing with each other.

_Knok knok knok!_

"Yeah, Pan?" Grimm called over the roar of water.

The door creaked open and Pantera peeked in. "I gotta go potty."

"Go ahead, little buddy."

Ulqui shut the water off and they both stepped out and onto the plush bathroom rug as the kit scampered over, removed his pants and undies and climbed onto the porcelain pot.

Ulqui dried his body off and grunted when Grimm went at his hair wildly with a towel. His human laughed at the wild state it was left in after he finished.

Pan finished and flushed the toilet and waited for an adult to help him reach the sink as his mother was blocking it and the little stool as well.

"You're lookin' a little taller there," Grimm mentioned after pulling on his sleep pants and a t-shirt. He scooted Ulqui out of the way and grabbed Pan. He held the kit up and waited for him to wash his hands. "Want me to measure you?"

"Yah!" Pantera shook his hands and turned the water off.

"Alright then I'll get the tape measure from the junk drawer.

Ulqui gathered their clothes and followed them out of the steamy bathroom. He threw the dirty clothes in the appropriate hamper and rejoined them as the rasp of the tape measure sliced the air.

"Put your heel on the tab part," Grimm instructed. When Pan had done so, he lowered the box the tape came from until it touched the ruler Grimm had on Pan's head and locked it. "Okay, step away. You know what that number is?"

"This one?" he asked, pointing at a number. Grimm nodded and he looked at it. "Two-eight?"

"Try again, it's a double-digit so the first number is said differently."

The studious face the kit took was very adorable to his mother. "Twoty-eight?"

"Close, try again." Grimm mouthed the appropriate pronunciation after a while.

He stared at his father's lips. "Twenty-eight?"

"Yeah! There you go!" Grimm congratulated making the runt cheer. "You want a math problem?"

"Yah, yah, yah!"

"Okay. Listen closely. You are twenty-eight inches tall, right."

Pan nodded.

"Now a foot has twelve inches in it, so how tall are you in feet?"

His little face scrunched up, and then unscrunched. His eyebrows came together and went apart. His fingers came into play a few time. "Two but there's four inchies left," he answered, holding up four fingers.

Grimm took his hand. "That mean's you're two feet four inches tall." He ruffled his dark locks. "You're so smart! You'll thrive in school. A one-year old in kindergarten, imagine that."

"Two," Ulqui corrected.

"Huh?"

"_Ksudra _is two now."

"Whaat? Since when?"

Ulqui took a moment to think. "Since last week."

Grimm let his head hang. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought you knew."

"No, Ulqui, humans can't just tell when someone gets a year older," he explained as he rose to his feet. "Argh, I wanted to throw a birthday party for him! I guess we could have a belated one but those aren't as special..."

"Oh," Ulqui uttered and diverted his eyes. Grimm wasn't going to like what he had to say next. "Grimm... I'm twenty."

The human just stared and let out a long-suffering sigh as he rubbed his face. "When?"

"When it first snowed."

"Geez, that long ago?!"

Ulqui looked down. "I'm sorry."

Grimm grasped his chin and made him lift it. "No no no, don't sound like that. I'm not mad. Just disappointed; I really wanted to celebrate your birthdays."

"Why?"

He shook his head. "It's a human thing. You'll understand it when you encounter it."

"When your birthday, Gimm-_pitr_?"

"In the summer; July 31."

"We could celebrate yours then," Ulqui murmured.

"But I really wanted to do yours."

Ulqui snuggled into his chest. "We'll do ours later."

"Hmph... I guess."

The theme song to _Crashbox_ came on, and stole the kits attention from them as he scampered off to watch it.

Grimm shook his head. "No reason to continue this now. Let's join him.

They wandered over and Grimm rested on the couch with one leg stretched out on the cushions. Ulqui settled against his chest and tugged his kit into his lap and silently pet his son's ears as they watched the show with him.

x~x

Thursday came, and Grimm was finally able to stay home, however wanted to get a haircut. Ulqui completely turned down going with him, however Pantera had no choice, as he was going to get a haircut as well.

The neko was left alone in the house, but did not despair as he found knitting more relaxing and easier when it was mostly quiet. He had the radio on to a station that played classical to cut through the silence. He was relaxing on the couch, still clad in his night-clothes. The blanket was really taking shape, making pride swell in his breast. His only problem was that he was beginning to run out of yarn for it.

_Oh! _Ulqui set it to the side and went to the phone in the kitchen. He looked to the note next to it that had Grimm's number on it and called his alpha.

"Hello?"

"Grimm?"

The human laughed, it sounded weird through the device. "You can't come now, we're already at the barber's."

Ulqui scoffed. "No. Could you pick me up some more yarn?"

"Sure, what color was it again?"

"It has a lot of shades of brown and green in it. It's earthy."

"Yeah, I remember now. Anything else?"

"No, bye Grimm."

"Alright, bye."

Ulqui put the phone back in its cradle and turned to exit the kitchen.

He froze when he noticed a shadowed figure at the side door peeking in. The only thing that kept the neko from going back to the phone and calling Grimm was the silhouette of cat ears on the figure. He eased up to the door and pulled it open.

_"Ah! You startled me!"_

Ulquiorra's eyes were beyond huge. _"M-Mother?"_

A face that matched his own in every way smiled warmly at him. _"Hello my lovely girl."_

Without thinking he threw his arms around the slightly shorter woman and crushed her into a hug.

_"I missed you too," _she murmured and returned the hug. _"My you've gotten so big! You were under my chin when you left."_

Ulqui stiffened and pulled away. _"I'm not returning to the clan." _

She held up a dainty hand. _"I am **not **here for that."_ She giggled._ "Your father only thinks I am."_

_"Srimati Sulalita**!" _someone scolded off to the side. They looked to see a panting neko male approaching who looked vaguely familiar. _"I said to wait for me! Something could've happened."_

She waved the male off. _"All is well, besides did you really expect me to wait while you snooped about searching for my daughter's home when my mate was very clear in describing it?"_

He crossed his arms and looked away, but his burnt orange eyes met Ulquiorra's and a flush took over his cheeks. _"Ah, this is more embarrassing than I'd imagined," _he murmured and nervously picked his nails. _"You probably don't remember me."_

Ulqui broke eye contact. _"You were one of my chosen alphas."_

_"Oh, you remember me!"_

_"Yes, but I don't recall your name."_

He shrugged_. "Aw, that's alright. You were known for keeping to yourself after all. Never really spoke to anyone outside your family... It's Nitya*" _He chanced a look through the glass._ "Is your... alpha here?"_

_"No."_

_"Good, I wouldn't what him to think of me as a threat."_

Ulqui looked the neko up and down. Though sweet, he was rather plain looking with patchy brown and red fur, light brown hair, orange eyes, and vitiligo prevalent on his light-skinned face and arms. He was thinner and had less muscle tone than Grimm, and also may have been slightly shorter. _"He wouldn't," _Ulqui said with a slight haughty tone to it. He headed inside and they followed.

_"Would you like something to drink, mother?"_

_"Hmm, no. Let's bathe together and catch up. It's been far too long."_

A bath, that sounded nice. He looked to Nitya. _You can get comfortable, but don't mess with my string craft."_

Nitya nodded and looked over the couch to see it. _"It's very beautiful."_

_"Dhanyavada," _Ulqui murmured. Knowing that the journey to the nest must've been quite long, he took a moment to pour a large glass of cold water for Nitya before leading his mother to the bathroom.

_"Dhanyavada," _he heard Nitya call before he shut the door.

Sulalita sighed as she sat on the lid of the toilet. _"I'm so happy to be off my feet. Sheltered life makes you tire easy when traveling. You probably can't relate though."_

Ulqui shook his head. He filled the tub (much to his mother's fascination) and stood to remove his clothes. Sulalita stood to undress as well.

It seemed that someone in the village had gotten their hands on manufactured cloth. His mother's dress had a regular buckskin bodice while the rest was a dark floral cotton fabric and a braided belt of tanned hide tied just under her small breast. It was a bit crude, but very nice all the same.

One would know that the older female wasn't quite female when she disrobed. A small length hung between her legs, comparably smaller than Ulqui's but, her breasts were bigger and actually produced milk to feed her kits. That reminded him.

_"How are the boys?"_

_"Awful," _she sighed._ "But I love them dearly nonetheless."_

He chuckled and handed her a hair ring to tie back her hair. _"Awful?"_

_"Oh, they prank your poor mother, and run away when it's time for their baths, sometimes they'll refuse to eat meals or hide out in the forest. And not in the way you hid. No, they go **deep **into the forest and it takes your father hours to find them, and scolding and spanking them do nothing!"_

Ulqui sat in the tub on the side with the faucets and Sulalita sat opposite of him. She sank down with a sigh. _"Give them to me, _Grimm_ and I would put fear in them."_

She gave him a mischievous look. "_Oh_,_ don't tempt me."_

They shared a laugh.

_"They didn't have names yet when I left."_

_"_Ayasa*_ and _Himsa*_."_

_"Subtle," _Ulqui said, tone sarcastic.

_"Oh, where's my dauhitra*? What's his name?"_

_"He's with my mate getting his hair cut. His name was _Ksudra_ at first but he was renamed _Pantera_ by my mate."_

_"What does it mean?"_

Ulqui shrugged. _"I'm not sure."_

_"Oh, _Zusma_ said your mate renamed you as well, he wouldn't tell me what thought."_

"Ulquiorra."

_"That sounds pretty." _Sulalita took hold of his foot and placed it in her lap. Ulqui did the same, though he reached for a rag to clean the dirty underside of her feet. _"You seem happy here, are you?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Then I don't want you to come back to the village." _She smiled. _"Plain and simple."_

Ulqui grew a wry smile. _"It isn't so simple."_

_"Oh, but it is. Your father's wrapped around my finger, didn't you know? Oh! That tickles!" _She giggled and tried to pull her foot away to no avail, and Ulqui began to torment her. _"Please no! Stop that, I'm ticklish! Don't make me kick you!"_

The door opened and Nitya stepped in. _"Is everything alright?"_

_"Very much so _Nitya_," _Sulalita told him. She got her foot free and pressed it to Ulqui's cheek. _"My putri was being mean to me is all."_

He moved the foot from his face. "_Mother_..."

Both sets of eyes in the room looked to him.

_"I think of myself as male... will you call me putra?"_

The silence that followed the request was deafening and made his heart sink. He diverted his eyes.

_"I'm sorry, forget I said anything. I-"_

His mother reached forward and dragged him into her lap. She hugged him tight and close into his bosom. _"Of course. Whatever makes you happy and comfortable," _she whispered and kissed his forehead.

Ulqui buried his face into the crook of her arm and murmured a low thank you.

They finished their bath and dried off, but Ulquiorra stopped his mother from throwing her dress back on. _"No, I'll get something else for you to wear so that I can wash that." _They wrapped up in towels and headed across to the spare bedroom.

She giggled. _"I smell your father faintly in here."_

_"Yes, this is where he and _Zusma_ stayed."_

_"Will this be where I'll stay?"_

_"I don't think _Grimm_ would have a problem with you sharing our bed. Only _Nitya_ will stay in here." _He pulled some outfits from his pile and handed one to his mother.

_"Ooo! Human clothes!" _she cooed. She pulled on each article as she hummed. _"I wish I could see myself!"_

Ulqui straightened out his shirt and tugged her out of the room and into the bedroom where there was a full length mirror installed on the inside of the closet door.

The silly female flattened her ears and laughed. _"Look, I'm human!"_

_"It's unreal how much your name fits you..." _Ulquiorra murmured.

Sulalita tsked and waved him off before the hand she was waving was grabbed and she was pulled from the room.

Nitya looked up from his water and did a double take. _"I... I can't tell which is which!"_

Sulalita giggled and tugged the baggy shirt back so that her breasts could be seen as bumps in the fabric.

_"Oh! Okay the one in brown is Srimati Sulalita and the one in gray is Atridrutam."_

_"_Ulquiorra,_" _they both corrected at the same time.

The neko blushed and stammered his unneeded apology at calling him the wrong name, but was promptly ignored.

_"Show me your string craft, putra."_

Ulqui quirked a smile at that term before guiding her to the couch and taking up knitting once more.

b~~~d

Grimm stepped up to the register at the crafts store and placed the shopping basket on the counter. It was weird. Ulquiorra had called him again to ask that he buy not only more yarn than he'd already asked for, but also another set of needles, another how-to book, and a crafting tote. To make it even stranger, the yarn he'd asked for were colored in very bright yellows and purples and oranges.

He looked down to Pan who still clutched the drawing kit he'd found to his chest. His raven locks were cut into a short style that left only enough on the sides to cover where human ears would go, and the hair around his ears was nicely layered and fell into bangs that reached his eyebrows. Grimm tousled his hair and took the kit so that it could be paid for.

"Why do you think your mom wants all this stuff?"

The kit shrugged and made the "I dunno" sound.

The items were rung up and Grimmjow held a wiggling Pantera under his arm, football style, and headed for the truck. He strapped the kit in his chair and threw the purchases onto the seat next to him before hopping into the driver's seat and pulling off.

He called for Ulqui as he and Pan took off their outer wear when they got home. He smiled when the neko walked into the room and went over to embrace him.

"I see you took a bath," he mentioned and kissed his forehead.

Pan ran up ready to join in on the hug, but froze. "Um... Gimm-_pitr_? That not my _matr_..."

Someone cleared their throat and he looked up to see Ulqui standing in the doorway of the basement with a male neko behind him.

Cerulean eyebrows came together in an extremely perplexed expression and he looked at the Ulqui in his arms. His green eyes sparkled and he was biting his lip as if holding in a laugh. He let go as if he had been hugging fire and looked to the one he thought was the real Ulqui. No, he knew the other was Ulqui, he knew that apathetic expression anywhere.

_"You have sister?" _he asked cautiously.

_"Yes, but that's not her; that's my mother."_

He looked the twin neko up and down a few times as she covered her mouth and giggled. _"Mother?!"_

She calmed her giggles. _"Hello narya jamatr*! My, you give wonderful hugs; I'm jealous of my putra!" _She took one of his hands and clasped it under her chin. _"I am _Sulalita."

_"You're my matamahi?" _Pantera piped up.

Sulalita gasped and fell to her knees with her arms outstretched. _"Yes I am~! Come here and give me a hug!" _Pan scampered into her arms with barely any hesitation. _"Aw! You're so tiny and cute! Why weren't my kits this cute when they were two?!"_

Grimm looked to his mate as he walked up to her. "Did you tell her that he was two?"

"No."

Grimm shook his head and moved as Sulalita got to her feet with Pan in her arms.

_"Putra, can we trade kits? Just for a few days?" _She rubbed her cheek against Pan's head. _"I can already feel his comforting spirit, and I don't want to let him go."_

Ulqui grinned at that and looked to Grimm. _"My kanisthas* are causing my mother stress, would you mind if I invited them over for some disciplining."_

_"How bad are they?" _Grimm asked.

_"They play pranks, run away, and refuse to eat sometimes."_

He grunted. _"We could fix them."_

_"Ksudra, would you like to go home with your matamahi?"_

The kit looked worried. _"Now?!"_

_"No no no, later, stoka bidalika!" _Sulalita chirped.

Grimm finally acknowledged the other neko. _"Who are you?"_

The male jolted and stepped forward. _"I-I-I am _Nitya. _Don't mind me, I-I'm only an escort, I mean no harm."_

"Ay!" Grimm cut off the stuttering rambles. _"Calm down. I not going to kill you for being near my mate."_

He could tell that Nitya relaxed though his body remained tense and turned his attention back to the 'girls' who were planning on when the switch would take place.

_"Yeah, going to matamahi's will be fun! Can _Kumbara_ and _Putrika_ come?"_

_"No they might get broken."_

_"Who are _Kumbara_ and _Putrika_?"_

_"His dolls."_

_"The little humans on the floor back there?"_

_"Yes. Hmm, we'll have to hide them. My blanket too, they'd come home with welts if they ruined either of them."_

_"Putra!"_

_"They're seven, they should know better."_

_"Will you feed them and make sure they don't fight, matr? _Kumbara_ is mean to _Putrika_ sometimes..."_

_"I will take care of them, _Ksudra_."_

_"Then it's settled! I'll come back for _Pantera_ in two days and leave _Ayasa_ and _Himsa_ with you!"_

_"Settling everything without talking to me?"_ Grimm butt in.

_"Yes,"_ Ulquiorra told him easily. _"I trust my mother with Pan, and I don't like the thought of the kits bullying her like they are."_

_"I understand." _He switched to English to give himself a break. "Are you really okay with going there, Pan?"

"Yeah, it'll be fun! Oh wait..." He looked to his grandmother. _"Will Matula Zusma be there?"_

_"Yes why?"_

_"I don't like him, he made momma cry."_

She tsked. _"He's unfortunately very good at that... But don't worry, he doesn't live with us."_

_"Good."_

_"Can I say one thing?"_ Grimm started._ "If they come, I want it to be when I'm here."_

_"I wouldn't mind going tomorrow," _Pan offered. _"Matamahi could go get them and take me back when she brings them here." _

_"You'll come tomorrow? How wonderful!"_ She kissed him. "You're making me so happy!"

Pan giggled and kissed her back."_Oh_!_ Do I still have the skirt matr made me? I wanna wear that!"_

_"Yeah, I have that tucked away somewhere."_ Grimmjow noticed the bag of yarn and other craft things still resting by the door where he'd left it. _"I guess the needles and string were for you?"_

_"You got them? Dhanyavada, narya jamatr! I hope it wasn't any trouble, I just wanted to do string craft like my putra."_

The bluenet finally noticed the term. _"Oh, you know _Ulqui _identify with male?"_

Sulalita nodded. _"I used to call him putra when he was younger, but my alpha made me stop."_

_"You did? I don't remember that..."_

_"You were very young. You always thought you were a male,_ Ulquiorra." She shook her head with a frown. _"Your father didn't like it so he allowed the boys in the village to torment you. That's around when you stopped smiling and started running away into the trees. It saddened me, but there wasn't anything I could do..." _Her smile returned. _"I'm just glad you got away and got yourself a cute mate who accepts you."_

Grimm smiled.

_"_Gimm-_poppy's great!" _Pan cheered and got a big kiss from his grandmother. His stomach grumbled. "I'm hungry."

The bluenet plucked the kit from the female's arms. _"I'll feed him, you two play."_

Sulalita giggled and tugged her son away to continue his knitting.

Grimm set Pan on the counter and started on a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "It's really weird seeing someone with your mom's face giggling like that."

Black hair flopped about as he nodded enthusiastically. "Can I have squid jerky too?"

"Sure, kit."

"And warm milk with sugar and cimonen?"

"Mm hm."

"And a catnip lolli?"

"Don't push it." The kit giggled and Grimm looked over his shoulder to the other visiting neko. _"Are you hungry?"_

He flinched. _"Oh. Y-Yes."_

_"I'll make you something too, then. Sit down." _He blinked and shook his head when the neko missed the stool the first time and disappeared behind the island. He popped back into view with his face red with embarrassment. _"Your name should be 'Nervous' or something."_

Nitya seemed to turn even more red, matching his ruddy fur.

Grimm ended up just making multiple servings of everything and served it out at the coffee table. Sulalita was beyond happy as she knitted with her wooden needles and purple yarn, and was reluctant to put them down to partake in a sandwich and sweetened milk. Pantera had his new drawing stuff nearby as he ate and finished quickly so that he could start drawing.

The nekos had gone back to knitting and Grimm was just sipping his milk when there was a knock. He went to the door to find Shunsui.

"Ah, hello Grimm."

"Hey, come on in," he invited and nearly got mowed down by the elder man's white-haired boys.

He scolded them for not taking their shoes off, but sighed when he was ignored. He blinked when he saw all of the nekos. "Running a neko hotel? Wait there are two Ulqui's!"

The twins looked up and gaped but Sulalita only smiled and waved at them.

"The one in brown is his mother, Sulalita."

"I've never seen someone take after their mother like **this**! Though, still tell her I said 'Hello, there, lovely lady.'"

"Using me to flirt? I'm telling Juu," he laughed and relayed the message to the best of his ability.

The neko blushed and giggled with her face hidden behind her slowly forming craft, but Nitya scowled.

_"Sri Vegatama wouldn't be happy if he heard that..."_

_"Oh, shush, can't you see that the pretty human was just playing?"_

"Something wrong?" Shunsui asked.

"No, but she does think you're pretty."

"She has good taste!"

Grimm laughed. "Beer?"

"Oh no, Nami and Rakurai would rat on me and Juu'd kill me! I was only coming to give you something anyway." He reached in his back pocket and produced a slip of paper. "Jushiro was looking up something for Ulqui. We'd have given it to you sooner but we had a scare."

Grimm took it with concern in his brow. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, Juu just fainted, but the doctor just said she was fine and just needed rest. She's up and about now. As much as I'm allowing her to be anyway."

Grimm unfolded the paper as he nodded and looked at the phone number and website written in neat print on it. "What's this for?"

"A state funded organization that protects neko villages in this state."

"Really?! Why don't I know these things already?!"

Shunsui laughed at him. "You've never had a reason to know this stuff before. Just give them a call and tell them where the village is. A representative will meet with them and offer the service."

The bluenet sucked air through his teeth. "That's easier said than done. From what I can tell, I'm the only human the chief even tolerates a little..."

"Hmm... Nonetheless, you should call them up and tell them about it so that they can plan for later."

"Yeah good idea." He held out his hand and gave the other a firm hand shake. "Thanks so much."

"No problem, man. Anything to help an innocent," he leaned over and peered at the nekos, "and beautiful species."

He grinned and gave him a friendly punch for the latter comment.

"Well, I'm going to head back," Shunsui murmured.

"What?" Nami squeaked.

"But we just got here!" Rakurai whined.

"Well, I told you it was only a quick errand."

"Can we stay?" they both begged.

"Nope, neither of you have finished your homework."

"Yeah we have!" they claimed.

"Hey, Grimm, can I borrow your phone? I wanna call their mother and ask if the homework sitting on the dining table is done."

"Okay, okay, we're coming!" The twins gave their young friend a hug and joined their dad at the door.

"Nami, Rakurai," Ulqui murmured. "My mother was wondering if you'd give her a hug too."

_"What are you saying?"_ Sulalita asked. Her face went red with mortification._ "You're not telling them, are you?!" _She squeaked when the twins rushed over and hugged her. Her initial shocked passed and she gave them both loving squeezes. _"They're so sweet."_

_"You should've seen what they did to jyestha."_

_"He told me about that. These are the demon kits?"_

Ulqui nodded and his mother laughed at the absurdity.

The twins pulled away saying their goodbyes and followed their father out.

Ulqui spoke again. "So there really are humans who will protect the village."

"Yeah, I'm going to call them up now. Tell your mom about it." He ventured to the house phone and stabbed in the number and waited as it rung.

"Hello, this is the main office of the NRAPA or Neko Reformation and Protection Agency. How may I assist you today?"

"I'd like to report the existence of a neko village. However, they are very distrustful of humans."

"Most are. May I ask how you found it."

"Check the Neko registry for a Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. I have two nekos under my name and the brother of the eldest stumbled upon him in the forest almost two weeks ago. I haven't actually been there."

"So this village is affiliated with the neko you have in your care?"

"Yes, it's his birth village. Though it recently moved to its current location due to the previous location being taken over. At least that's what I am told."

"Are you aware of its population? Rather, how many live within the village."

"No, but I can ask." He leaned out the kitchen. _"_Sulalita, _how many nekos live in clan?"_

_"That depends, which clan?"_

_"I don't understand..."_

_"Not just my home clan moved, narya jamatr. There were five clans that were in the area; they all moved."_

_"Five clans?!"_

_"Yes and there were at least one hundred to each clan, so about five hundred all together."_

He sputtered at the number. He'd expected maybe one hundred, not five times that!

"Hello? Sir?"

He brought the phone back to his ear. "Five hundred... split between five different clans."

There was a pause. "Five hundred? How are you certain?"

"I've got a current resident of the village sitting on my couch."

"This gets top priority, sir. We can have a representative visit you by next week."

"Is it really that unique of a situation?"

"Usually, we don't get reports of a village until there are only fifty left."

"Whoa."

He heard the sound of keys on a keyboard being pressed. "I already have your address from the registry, is there a specific date that it'd be best to visit you?"

"Next Thursday or Friday would be best."

More clattering of the keyboard. "It has been scheduled for Friday of next week. Thank you very much, sir. You've done a world of good."

"No, thank you. Maybe soon there'll be a law passed to protect them."

"We can only hope. Have a nice day."

"You too." He hung up and turned around. "Gah! Stop doing that!"

Sulalita ignored his outburst and wrapped her thin arms around his neck. _"Putra explained. You really called humans who will protect us?"_

_"Y-Yeah."_

She kissed his cheek and nuzzled it. _"Thank you so much! Maybe we'll finally be able to live without fear!"_

_"You'll have to speak with the chieftains of each tribe, mother," _Ulqui asked as he joined them in the kitchen.

She released Grimm and turned to Ulqui._ "If they refuse then this information would easily make the others of the clans possibly revolt. Especially mothers like me. I don't like lying awake at night with the thoughts that an evil human will sneak in and steal my kits and kill my alpha! I will not let a few pig-headed males take the possibility of safety from us!"_

He could tell the poor female was on the verge of tears and wrapped his arms around her. She calmed almost instantly.

_"You really do give good hugs, narya jamatr," _she sighed and rubbed the arms encircling her.

He smiled. _"I can't have my step-mother fainting from panic."_

Her green eyes sparkled up at him and then closed making a blissful face. "I'm_ so glad you're in the family."_

* * *

You wouldn't believe how tempting it was to make someone sick so that they could suffer with me XD.

Also, Geez this chapter ended up really long! I wanted to end it, but things just kept happening until it went out of control! I hope you enjoyed the bonus 2000+ words!

**_Mini Dictionary:_**

__Ayasa: __Trouble

__Caru: __Pretty

__Cittacaura: __Lover/heart thief

__Dauhitra: __Grandson

__Dhanyavada: __Thank you

__Himsa: __Mischief

__Kanistha: __Little brother_  
_

__Ksudra: __Tiny

__Matamaha:__ Grandfather/Grand-poppy

__Matamahi:__ Grandmother/Grandmomma

__Nitya: __Ordinary

__Putra: __Son

__Putri: __Daughter

__Sri: __Mr (I'm using it as a title of status much like king or duke)

__Srimati: __Mrs (I'm using it as a title of status much like queen or duchess)

_Stoka bidalika: _Little kitten

__Sundaram drzyase_: _You look beautiful.

_Sulalita: _Very playful

_Tvam_ _kamiyami_: I love you


	11. X: Discipline

Holy Balls! I'm back! Two months later, and finally there will be updates again! Yay! Just to let you all know, I left two months ago for bootcamp actually, and now, since April 10th, I am a Sailor! Yay! I'm at my "A" School now, which is basically college, so I'm still not home, but I at least have access to internet again!

It's gonna be a little difficult to get back into writing after so long, but bear with me please, and enjoy this new chapter! Keep in mind that I wrote 80% of this before I left, and I also wrote up a future chapter (probably one or two chapters ahead of this one) while I was "incarcerated" XD.

* * *

Grimm found himself waking early the next day, and did not know why. He laid there, staring at the ceiling in the dark. After many minutes of staring passed he sat up and looked to his other bed mates with a smile. Ulquiorra and his mother were facing each other, their faces close enough that they could kiss and their bodies curled tightly around Pantera. The kit whimpered, his face scrunching up as if experiencing something less than pleasing and both mothers came to his rescue; wrapping their arms around him and curling closer. Grimm smiled at the cute scene.

With a yawn and a head scratch he gently threw his blankets off of his lap and scooted off his bed with nary a jostle to the others. After escaping the bedroom, he headed to the kitchen, intent on planning out breakfast for later.

Hours passed by and he heard someone shuffle into the kitchen behind him.

"... what are you making?"

Grimm turned and smiled at his bleary-eyed mate. "I was going to make pancakes, but I, for some reason, decided to make sugar cookies instead." He pulled a towel off of a plate sitting on the counter nearby. "Here's the first batch, want one?"

Ulquiorra walked over and plucked a lopsided cookie from the plate. He took a bite and sighed. "It's good."

The neko moved to walk away, but the bluenet grabbed him around his slim waist. He tugged him close and captured Ulqui's lips in a kiss. He moaned as the taste of the sweet cookie and Ulqui's natural flavor with hints of morning mouth touched his tongue. Ulqui hugged the human back, around his neck and purred as his large hands dropped lower to caress his buttocks. He squeezed and kneaded the soft mounds through the fabric of Ulqui's night pants.

He broke the heated kiss and when his blue eyes fluttered open he blushed at the sight of Sulalita timidly peeking around the corner at them. She realized she'd been noticed and revealed herself.

_"Now I'm even more jealous," _she murmured. _"Vega and I haven't kissed like that in years..."_

Ulqui turned to face his mother. _"You should change that."_

_"I'll try," _she said, smiling at them both. Her green eyes locked onto the plate of sweets. _"What are those?" _

"Cookies," Grimmjow told her. At his gesture she wandered over and took one. He laughed when her face brightened after one bite. _"You like it?"_

Sulalita nodded blissfully.

_"I made a lot, so I'll send you home with some."_

_"Ah! Dhanyavada, narya jamatr! You're too sweet to me!"_

Grimm smirked and rubbed the back of his neck._ "It's nothing really."_

_"Oh but it is. I always thought humans were scary and cruel, but you're so kind to me and my putra. It means more than you think... I hope all humans I meet are as wonderful as you." _She cozied up to him and stood on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek.

He gave her a one-armed hug.

Pantera appeared in the entry way. "Cookies for breakfast?"

Ulqui grabbed one and held it out to the kit. "Cookies for breakfast."

They lounged on the couch as they ate their less than healthy breakfast; Nitya joined them later and partook of the yummy meal. They relaxed for a bit before the guardian alpha announced that it was probably best that they head back, as they had to make two other trips that same day. Sulalita made a regret-filled sigh and nodded.

_"You're right. Putra, is my dress dry?"_

_"It should be... I'll check." _Ulqui stood and headed for the basement._ "Oh, and you can keep the sweater you wore yesterday, but you know father won't like you having the pants."_

_"You're spoiling me with all of these gifts!"_

Ulquiorra shrugged. _"You deserve some spoiling."_

Grimm rose to his own feet. _"I may as well pack up some of Pan's things and your treats as well."  
_

_"Can I bring my drawing stuff and paper?" _Pan wondered as he sipped his milk.

Grimm answered the query with an affirmation, and left to get everything together.

Not much time had passed when everything was ready, and Sulalita and Nitya took their leave. Grimmjow, Ulquiorra and Pantera went on with their day as they awaited her return.

x~x

Ulqui's ears perked when there was a knock at the glass door and Pan cheered and ran to it screaming for his grandmother. The door was opened and he was in Sulalita's arms by the time Ulqui managed to untangle the yarn from his lap and walk over to the door.

Not only had his mother returned with Ayasa and Himsa but his father was there as the escort instead of Nitya. He greeted them all.

_"I don't like that you both made all these plans without consulting me," _Vegatama grumbled as he hugged Ulqui.

_"Oh hush," _Sulalita told him and hugged Ulqui next. _"I do hope the boys aren't too bad for you," _she told him as she looked to the kits warily. Pan was on the floor with them now, smiling warmly and curiously while they seemed to scrutinize him.

_"You're very thmall," _Ayasa murmured with a more than slight lisp to his tone as he clutched the ball he'd brought with him to his chest.

Himsa crossed his arms. _"Are you a newborn?" _he asked without a lisp to his voice.

It seemed that both boys had more of their father in them, much like his sister Lajjalu. Their hair was black like Sulalita's however their eyes were yellow and skin slightly tanned from their father's genes. They were easy to tell apart when they opened their mouths since Ayasa was the only one with a lisp, however when they weren't speaking they could be told apart by the large splotchy birthmark on Himsa's little shoulder.

_"I'm not a newborn, I'm two!" _Pan happily offered the information.

The twin's looked at each other with a gleam in their eyes that made Ulqui's ears flatten. _"You're a runt?" _Pan nodded and with twin roars he was pounced upon. He squealed in fear as fangs bit and claws scratched.

Ulqui swiped at their bottoms and they jumped away grasping them.

_"Boys! Don't mess with your cousin; he's much too young for you! You should know better," _Sulalita scolded as Ulqui gathered his kit in his arms to make sure that any marks were just that; marks. None of them needed bandages, but he made sure to kiss a few of them better.

The twins stuck their tongue out at their mother making her flinch and give a sad half-hearted glare.

Grimmjow did one better as he entered the room and saw their disrespectful reaction to the scold. _"Stick your tongues at your mother again, and I rip them out."_

The seven year-olds looked up to the tall human and screamed in fright. Sulalita smiled and went over to hug Grimmjow. _"Hello narya jamatr. Boys, Grimm here will be taking care of you for a week."_

Himsa pointed. _"You're leaving us here with him?!"_

_"You can't! He'll eat uths!" _Ayasa claimed.

Pantera's nose wrinkled. _"No he won't."_

_"Be quiet, tiny! You're thafe because you won't have enough meat on your boneths until your at leath twelve!" _Ayasa said, stumbling over some of his words.

"_Agraja, don't stay with him, he'll eat your kits!"_

Grimmjow looked to Ulquiorra. "What kind of rumors about humans do you spread in your village?!"

Ulqui shrugged. "This is a new one."

The bluenet sighed. _"I'm not going to eat you brats..."_

_"Liar!" _Himsa said.

_"Villain!"_

_"Fiend!"_

_"Boys!" _Vega roared. _"That's enough out of you!" _He sighed and plucked Pan from Ulqui's arms. _"I do hope you know what you're doing, putri."_

_"Putra," _Sulalita corrected and earned a growl from her husband. She lowered her ears submissively making Ulqui feel a slight twinge in his heart. He didn't get to say anything as the happy woman kissed him goodbye and stepped out the door.

_"Try to get them to eat; they haven't eaten since dinner yesterday." _Vega kissed him as well and followed his mate.

_"You're really leaving us here?!" _Himsa cried. The glass door was slid closed with a thump, answering the boy's question.

Grimm flipped the latch and drew the curtains. He turned around and glared down at the two boys semi-huddling close together sending defiant glares at the human. _"Alright, brats. Let's just get this straight, right here and n-gh!"_

The ball Ayasa had been clutching sailed through the air and smacked Grimm straight in his jaw. The kits screamed and darted off towards the back of the house.

"Those little-!"

Ulqui placed a hand on his shoulder and went after them in his stead. He found them cowering under the bed. _"Come from under there __kanisthas. My mate will not harm you."_

_"You don't know anything, agraja! He's hypnotized you; jyestha said so!" _Himsa said.

_"Jyestha knows nothing."_

_"He knows everything," _they said in unison. _"Pitr too."_

He wouldn't argue anymore, it would get him nowhere. He reached under and grabbed them wanting to to yank them from beneath the bed. He jolted when his fingers were bit and snatched them away. Ayasa and Himsa surged out of their hiding spot, and ran away again, bumping Ulqui into the dresser while fleeing. He heard Grimm yell something at them while he clutched his head, wincing.

Ayasa and Himsa wailed in fear before there was a slam of a door and Grimmjow joined him in the bedroom. He gently checked the area Ulqui was grasping. "I locked their little asses in the other bedroom. Don't worry, Putrika and Kumbara are in the locked closet, so they can't get to them." He sucked his teeth. "Nothing bad, this'll just hurt for a bit. Come on."

Grimmjow helped Ulqui to his feet and led him from the room, they both heard the kits bumping around in the other room as they passed it, but let them be figuring it would be best to let them tire themselves out.

"I'll start on dinner, you just relax and knit. When they fall out we can bathe them while they sleep and then tie them to the chairs to eat."

A tiny smirk formed from Ulqui's lips and he snuggled up to his mate to receive a kiss before retreating to the couch. He was happy to get back to his string craft.

x~x

Grimmjow hadn't been up for anything elaborate, so he ended up whipping up some tartar sauce to go with some store bought fish fingers and stove top potatoes. He looked up when he noticed Ulqui go by. "Something wrong?"

Ulqui shook his head and told him he was going to run the bath for his brothers.

Grimm chuckled. "I was just kidding about tying them to the chairs, but should we actually do it?"

Ulqui paused. "Just... use a belt to strap them to the chairs. Just one each."

"You know best," the bluenet said as he fixed servings for them all. He put the plates on the table before going to his closet and getting two fabric belts. He put those on the chairs the twins would be sitting in (he decided that they would sit diagonal from each other at the table) and joined Ulqui at the room door. He pulled out the key and slowly entered after unlocking the door.

Just as they'd hoped, the pair of misinformed troublemakers were out, lying in a corner curled around each other. Grimmjow grabbed and undressed Himsa and Ulquiorra got Ayasa ready for his bath.

Himsa woke as Grimm carried him to the bathroom. _"I have to pee..." _he murmured and rubbed his eyes. Grimm set him on the toilet and let him relieve himself before putting him in the tub with little trouble.

Ayasa was another story.

The boy shrieked as soon as he touched the water and fought Ulquiorra to get out, digging his little claws into his porcelain arms. Ulqui hissed and bit the little ones scruff making him fall limp. Grimm looked over Ulqui's arms as he asked if he was okay.

The older neko grunted an affirmative before proceeding to wash Ayasa who simpered and whined. Himsa was much better in comparison, only giving Grimm grief when he went to clean his ears and a little more when he woke fully to see that it was Grimm bathing him. When they finished they dressed them in some simple clothes that Grimm ran out and bought earlier. Just some solid navy blue shorts and white t-shirts; the elastic on the shorts were thin enough that they could sit just below their tails.

_"I'm not hungry," _Himsa snapped and tried to scoot out of the seat as Grimm set him there.

Grimm merely grumbled, _"You need to eat," _and made him face his plate.

He tried to move again._ "I don't want it!"_

_"Then you sit there and stare at it till you do."_

_"No!" _Himsa pushed at him but couldn't get away before Grimm looped the long belt around the seat of the chair and the kit's lap. _"Hey!"_

_"I said, 'you sit there and stare at it till you do." _Grimmjow took the seat beside him and poured ketchup on his own potatoes. He stabbed one and held it out for Himsa to eat, but the kit humphed and turned his head away.

Ulqui had the same problem and had to strap Ayasa to the chair across from Grimmjow. The elder neko sat in his own seat and started eating the fish fingers.

Later, the adults finished off their dinner whereas the kits had yet to touch the food on their plates. Ulqui washed the dishes while Grimmjow remained at the table with them. _"Are you going to eat?"_

_"No," _they both told him adamantly.

_"Then you be here for a while because I'm not letting you up. You sit there all night if you have to, and in the morning I'll just warm your food back up and set it in front of you again."_

They glared at him and he speared a fish finger on Ayasa's plate. He dipped it in the tartar sauce and held it out to him. The lisping twin sent him a wet hiss and the human just set the fork on the plate and went to sit on the couch with Ulquiorra.

An hour passed and his lids began to droop when scraping joined the clicks of Ulquiorra's knitting needles. A triumphant smirk reached his lips at the addition of appreciative "hm"s and "mm"s coming from the table behind him.

_"Don't eat that, he just wants to fatten you up so he can eat you!" _Himsa whispered harshly.

_"But iths good. Try it."_

_"Never."_

_"Whatever." _More sounds of eating came from Ayasa. About ten minutes later he said, _"I'm done, agraja."_

The mama-cat got up and went to free him as well as wash his dish. The kit told Ulqui that he needed to use the bathroom and he was guided to the needed area.

_"Heeey!" _Himsa yanked at the belt and tried to see where they'd gone. _"Let me up too."_

_"Eat first," _Grimm told him.

_"I won't!"_

_"Then sit there."_

The kit yelled and flailed in his seat.

_Geez, Pan's never done anything like this. Now I'm really glad we took them off of Sulalita's hands for a bit. Any one would need a break after having these around for seven years...  
_

Ayasa had to sit next to Ulqui on the couch, and the older neko wisely rested a leg as well as the balls of yarn on the kit's lap to make it harder for him to run away. He surprisingly remained still, just watching Ulquiorra knit. After a while he began nuzzling the soft yarn balls.

Grimmjow grinned but knew that this calm moment would be very short, and nothing compared to the headaches he'd get through out the week having him and his brother there.

Perhaps only five minutes later...

_Slam!_

Grimm cursed and they all looked to the table to see Himsa's plate on the floor.

_"Aw, if you didn't want it, I would've ate it..." _Ayasa murmured while the human got up to clean the mess.

Himsa was sending Grimm a smug look. _"Now I can't eat it, so you can't keep me here."_

_"No, now I'll just free you when I feel like it." _He dropped the plate in the sink and grabbed the still wet rag and the broom. _"And right now, I don't feel like it."_

Himsa's face reddened and he let out another wail.

_"Scream all you want," _he said as he dumped a load of wasted food into the trashcan in the kitchen. _"It wont get you out of the chair."_

_"Stupid evil human! Pitr should kill you and take agraja home!"_

Grimm shrugged and took the seat across from him._ "Your pitr and matr like me so don't press your luck."_

He growled and fought with the belt holding him hostage again._ "Aya, help me!"_

Grimm saw the other kit lurch into action, but was instantly yanked back when his Ulqui grabbed his scruff. _"Don't you dare," _he growled menacingly despite his monotone voice. He settled him back under the yarn and his leg and went back to knitting his blanket. It was getting quite large, and was probably big enough to cover half of the bed.

_"Aya!"_

_"I can't, agraja won't let me," _he wisely said._  
_

_"Agraja, you traitor!"_

Grimmjow shook his head at Himsa. _"You're a brat..."_

_"Shut up, stupid human!"_

Ulquiorra suddenly stood and set his craft to the side before stalking over. He swung Himsa chair around and gripped the front of his t-shirt. _"Bad mouth my mate again and I will hurt you the way only a big sister could." _He shook him._ "Got it?"_

Himsa curled his lip and growled low.

Ulqui let him go roughly, and straightened. _"Ayasa come here." _He looked to Grimm. "I'm going to take a bath now."

"Okay, I'll just stay here and stare at this one over here." He watched as Ayasa walked over and took Ulqui's hand when prompted to do so. "Aw, why'd you get the semi-good one."

The emerald-eyed neko shrugged. "We could switch..."

"Nah, you'll have to deal with 'em both tomorrow, so I'll let you have the quiet before the storm."

Ulqui let out a monosyllabic chuckle and walked towards the back. Grimm received a kiss and watched them go before looking back to his current charge. _"Now where were we?"_

x~x

Ulquiorra got his pyjamas and undressed when he entered the bathroom with his little brother nearby. Still clad in his underwear, he began running some bathwater. Ayasa had been leaning against the wall, and looked up when he was called and moved to obey when Ulqui told him to sit on the toilet lid. The water reached the preferred height before he slipped out of his undies and relaxed in the tub. He grunted in annoyance when he realized he'd forgotten to tie up his hair.

A moment passed and he opened his eyes to look at Ayasa. _"Is this an act?"_

_"K-Kim?"_

_"Matr told us that you both act horribly for her, though you seem well-behaved compared to Himsa."_

His ears fell in a look of guilt.

_"You're not actually bad are you? You're just following Himsa's lead. Is he the older?"_

Ayasa nodded.

_"You shouldn't follow a bad leader." _Ulqui shifted to rest his head on the edge when the little one refused to acknowledge what he'd said.

His bath went by in silence and they left the bathroom after he'd dried and dressed in his nightclothes. His mate and brother were still at the table, Himsa glaring with arms crossed while Grimm yawned every so often. He decided that he'd get the older male to bed and deal with Himsa by himself.

Grimmjow was reluctant, but happy to be freed from watching the most troublesome of the kits (at least in Ulqui's opinion it was so) and went to bed. Himsa expected to be freed once the human was gone, but he was sorely mistaken and had to be scolded when he began shouting loudly at his "traitorous sister".

In the end, Himsa wasn't left in the chair for too much longer, as it was late. After moving his craft to the extra room, he released Himsa and escorted him and Ayasa there where he made them settle in the nest of blankets he made for them.

_"You're thleeping with uths then, agraja?"_

_"Just for tonight."_ He knitted without looking at them and they remained relatively quiet for the night. Ulqui fell asleep sitting on his pillow before long.

x~x

**_Second day_**

When he awoke the following morning, it was to Grimm kneeling down to kiss him and pulling a blanket over him. Ulqui groaned in pain at the slight crick that had developed there from sleeping, propped up, against the wall. Grimm gave it a little rub and tugged him down so that he could curl up on the plush cushion.

"I'm heading out," Grimm said. "I made breakfast for you and whoever else'll eat it; it's in the oven."

Already leaving? "Did I really sleep so late?" he grumbled.

"Yup." He kissed the neko's brow again. "Call me if they become too much for you, and I'll send someone over to scare them a bit," he joked. Grimmjow rose to his full height, looming over Ulquiorra in a way that reminded him of his first days with the hunter, before turning and leaving.

Ulqui laid there well after he'd heard the truck pull out the driveway and hum off, rising only when pressure built up in his bladder. With a sigh, he left the room to take care of his lavatorial business. Hunger set in when he was done and he went to the kitchen.

He was happy with what he found in the oven. Plates (a large one for him and two smallers for the kits) of french toast and sausage links were waiting to be eaten on the top rack. He grabbed the one for him and then the syrup from where it'd been placed on the counter and headed for the table. He settled after doubling back for a glass of milk.

He poured a small pool of syrup in the corner of his plate as he thought over what to do for the day. As he dipped a piece of french toast into the sticky amber puddle he realized that having his brothers over ruined more than he'd thought.

He was feeling energetic that day, and usually when he got that way he'd walk around the neighborhood with Pantera or just go out and climb a tree or two. He couldn't do that with his brothers. Oh no. They weren't registered for one, and for another with what his mother had told him, they'd probably try to run off. With there being two of them, he couldn't possibly keep them from succeeding in that venture. Ulqui sighed and finished off the first slice of french toast, he'd just have to keep them inside until he could trust them enough to let them, at least, in the backyard.

Black ears perked and he looked over to see Himsa wander in from the back. _"Where's the human," _he asked after looking about.

_"Out, he'll be back later," _Ulqui told him and bit into a yummy link. He made a delighted hum in realizing that it was chicken sausage instead of the usual pork.

_"Good."_

He swallowed the morsel and sipped his drink. _"Are you hungry?"_

_"Was it the human who made the food?"_

Ulqui knew where this was going and answered truthfully anyway.

_"Then, no, I'm not hungry." _He crossed his arms and glared. _"Are you going to tie me to a chair now?"_

_"That didn't work, so now I'll just let you starve yourself," _Ulqui dead-panned with an indifferent shrug.

_"Um... I'll eat, agraja," _was how Ayasa meekly entered the conversation.

Ulqui nodded and got up to get one of the smaller servings of food from the oven as well as some milk. The twins conversed as he got everything together.

_"No! You can't eat that, Aya!"_

_"And why can't I?"_

_"Because the human made it."_

_"Tho? I'm hungry and agraja wouldn't let him hurt uths, tho I'm gonna eat it."_

_"Sure she would, she's under a human spell. She even looks like it, all dead faced and weird sounding."_

_"Shlee could've alwayth been like that."_

_"She wasn't."_

_"How would you know? We were newbornths when shlee left!"_

_"I know everything about agraja."_

_"What's her... favourite color?" _Ayasa asked before climbing into the chair to get to his plate.

_"Blue."_

_"I prefer purple," _Ulqui announced as he reclaimed his own seat.

Himsa humphed and Ayasa stuck his tongue out at him. The younger twin tucked into his meal, mimicking the way Ulquiorra ate his food, and after a while Himsa took the chair to his brother's left. Ayasa was nearly done with his breakfast when he offered a piece of sausage to Himsa.

_"Here, iths better than the food laths night. Try it." _Himsa turned his head away and Ayasa just ate the sausage himself. _"Did the human make the evening meal too?"_

_"Yes, he makes most of the meals."_

_"Will you make dinner tonight, agraja?" _Himsa inquired.

Ulqui shrugged. _"Probably not..." _That was a lie, however. He almost always made dinner, especially on days when Grimm worked diner shift. Maybe he could ask Grimm to bring something home from work, it'd been a long time since he'd had a deer steak. That reminded him of hunting, and how it'd been longer still since he'd hunted. _"You'll just have to eat whatever my mate makes when he gets home, or just keep starving yourself."_

_"That's what I'll do then," _he snapped and glared at Ulquiorra. Ulqui met his eyes and held the challenging glare with ease.

Ayasa bumped Himsa making him lose the contest and swirled a finger around in the streaks of syrup left on his plate. _"What's this sticky sweet stuff, anyway?"_

"Syrup."

_"If Himsa doesn't eat can I have his breakfast with some more _syrup _later?"_

_"Yes."_

He beamed and went back to mopping up the syrup with his fingers.

Himsa scooted out of his seat._ "Can I go outside?"_

_"No, I don't trust you. You'll stay in here."_

_"I want to go outside."_

The eldest neko stood to gather the dishes and wash them along with the few left in the sink from the preparation of the meal. _"I__ don't care."_

_"You can't keep us in here!"_

_"Watch me."_

Himsa was going to yell some more, but Ayasa interrupted. _"What are we going to do if we can't go outside."_

_"You brought your ball, you can play with that." _Ulqui told him. The kit went to find the forgotten toy and his brother grumpily followed and joined him as he rolled and pounced on the ball made from grass stuffed animal hide.

The play soon turned into rough-housing. Ulqui was unconcerned as he sat on the island and watched them from the higher vantage point. Himsa squealed and bit down on Ayasa's shoulder when the other had latched onto his tail.

_"No blood," _Ulqui warned. They grumbled their acknowledgment of the warning while still gnawing on each other playfully. He moved off of the high surface and went to the phone to call Grimmjow.

b~~~d

"Hash browns, eggs, and sausage platter for table 3," Grimm called as he set the plate on the windowsill to be picked up. He grabbed another ticket from the rotary and started on that order. He flinched when he felt his cellphone buzz in his back pocket; he'd forgotten to put it in his locker. He flipped the slices of ham he was frying onto a plate and wiped his hands before pulling it out and wedging it between his cheek and shoulder. "Everything alright?" he immediately asked. "I can have someone over before you can blink."

There was a shushing sound of Ulqui shaking his head and his hair rubbing the mouthpiece in the process. "No, it's fine for now, though Himsa still hasn't eaten. I was just wondering if you could bring something home from work."

"Ah, sure. Sure, what do you want?" Grimm listened as he whipped up the next order while taking his mate's over the phone. He was very surprised he didn't accidentally mix them up. He told the neko that he'd be sure to bring home the meal and chuckled at the confused silence he got when he sent a kiss to him.

With the phone back in his pocket he could use both hands to work again.

The rubber double doors flapped open, letting in Nnoi lugging a overfilled tub of dishes to wash. He started setting them up to be hosed down as he spoke. "Haven't seen Pan and Ulqui in a while, mind if I come over?"

"Pan's not home actually, he's with his grandma."

"Grandma? I thought you lost touch with your folks."

"Not my folks, Ulqui's. I told you about his father and brother right? Well I met his mother too."

"Oh yeah! Damn, I wish I could've met her; what's she like?"

Grimm chuckled and put a new plate on the sill to be taken. "She's beyond sweet, and looks exactly like Ulqui, I mean I came in the house and started hugging and kissing on her before Pan noticed that she wasn't his mother and Ulqui walked in and set things straight."

Nnoitorra laughed as he hosed the dishes down before taking soap to them. "Did he get mad?"

"No, not at all."

"So how long will Pan be gone for?"

"A week. Meanwhile we've got Ulqui's little brothers. Couple of hellions they are. Well... one way more than the other."

"What's wrong with them?" Nnoi asked and then listened as the bluenet outlined everything that happened the night before. "Yeah, they sound like little bastards. Sounds like there's hope for the lisping one though. What's his name again?"

"Ayasa. Means 'trouble'."

"Naming your kid something that is just asking for... well trouble." He laughed at his unintentional pun.

"They didn't name him that beforehand, yah know? He earned that name with his behavior."

Nnoi nodded and started rinsing the dishes. "From what you said about him, though, he could get a new name. I hope the same can be done for the other one."

Grimmjow nodded and continued on with making orders.

The diner remained packed well into the afternoon, but slowed down a bit around 6 o'clock. Grimm was happy for the lull and took the time to make and pay for the dinner Ulqui wanted. He packed the meals into three styrofoam carry-out cases and put them into the fridge with his name written on them. The changing of the plates happened and then he was able to change and head home for the night.

The lights were on in the living room when he pulled up, and he quickly grabbed the bag of food and headed to the front door. It opened before he could find the right key on his keyring and he smiled and kissed the neko looking out at him. "I come bearing gifts of deer steak and potatoes."

Ulqui scoffed and let him in.

_"Aw you're back? I was hoping you'd disappeared," _Himsa sniffed as Grimm got out of his shoes and jacket.

_"Yeah, yeah. I missed you too," _Grimm muttered and strolled to the kitchen.

_"Blech, who missed you?"_

_"I did," _Ulquiorra said.

Ayasa walked in from the bathroom. _"The humanths back?" _He turned and saw Grimm in the kitchen, pulling out food. "_Oh you have food! Aw, but I already ate..."_

_"You can have later then," _the human told him. "I thought Sulalita had a hard time feeding them?"

"Ayasa was always having snacks between meals it seems," he scratched an ear as he spoke. "That and the other mothers always let him have tastes of what they were making, so he was always full by dinnertime. Himsa's still being difficult, but he says it's just because you're making the food."

Ayasa walked up and latched onto his sister's side. _"I can't eat a whole bunch but can I have a bite of that? Juth a bite?"_

Grimm chuckled and cut a piece off of a steak and it was offered to the elbow-high kit on the end of a fork Ulqui held. He happily chewed the cold piece of meat and then asked for another bite. Ulqui gave him a red potato from the meal instead.

Ulqui crossed his arms._ "I should change your name to __Baubhuksa*,"_ he told him.

_"Okay," _he accepted easily.

_"No!" _Himsa protested.

Blue eyebrows came together. "Wait? You can just... change their names at will?"

"Yes, so long as I'm related to them and have custody of them; even if it is temporary."

"Doesn't that get confusing?" he asked as he put a plate into the microwave and hit a few buttons.

"Not usually... but I guess I'll hold off on renaming my brothers until I hear about how they act when they get back home."

"I think that's best."

He warmed up their dinner and settled at the table with his mate in the seat next to him. Himsa disappeared into the back (Grimm kept an ear out for any trouble) and Ayasa stayed close to Ulqui hoping for more bites of food. Grimm offered to warm up his dinner, but the kit claimed that he wouldn't be able to finish it.

_"That's enough," _Ulqui murmured after giving Aya a spear of asparagus. _"If you want more get it from Grimmjow."_

The kit looked at the human warily. _"I... I'm not hungry..." _

Before they could counter that lie, Ayasa ran off to join his brother in the back. Grimm only shook his head and went back to eating. "Well, at least he'll eat the stuff I cook. Himsa hasn't eaten at all?"

"No, but he'll cave soon, I feel."

"I hope so. Does he drink water at least?" Ulqui nodded. "Oh good. Hey, when we're done with this, I got some rice pudding as well."

x~x

**_Third day_**

The next day, Grimm went off to work and the call he got from Ulqui was a positive update. Himsa had indeed caved and had the rice pudding for breakfast, and liked it; Ayasa had his as well and would probably eat the previous day's dinner for lunch. When he got home, they both avoided him much to his confusion.

"And here I thought Ayasa was warming up to me."

Ulqui was quiet for a moment. "I think Himsa convinced him to keep fearing and hating you..."

"Himsa huh? So he must be the mastermind behind their horrible behavior."

"He is... I'll talk to Aya tomorrow."

Grimm nodded. "Since I worked diner shift for the weekend, they're letting me have Monday off. I'll be here, but I'll probably run out to the store. We need a few things: toilet paper, soap, milk, yah know."

"Okay... want to shower with me?"

He grinned and wrapped an arm around the other's waist. "Of course."

The shower went quick and without any "playing around" and they left to find the twins in their room playing with the ball. Himsa glared at Grimm but Ayasa just diverted his eyes. Ulqui went in to fix up their bed and told them to remain there, same as the previous night, before he and Grimm retreated to their own room.

Grimm flipped up the blankets, but Ulquiorra stopped him before he could lie down. "What?"

"Undress..."

"Hm? Why?"

"I want to sleep skin to skin with you."

Grimm blinked but then a smirk took over his face. They both disrobed and Grimm pulled Ulqui into his arms and flopped onto the bed. They easily got comfortable, Grimm embracing the neko with his nose burrowed into ebony hair and Ulqui had his face pushed into the human's slightly furred chest.

The position felt so right to both partners.

"This makes me want to get Pan a bed just so we can do this every night."

Ulqui sighed and nuzzled his chest. "Perhaps at a later time."

x~x

**_Fourth day_**

Ulqui remained home (of course) while Grimmjow went out to shop, he watched warily and listened in as his brother spoke amongst themselves.

_"The human ithn't that bad... he theemths nithe."_

_"Has he hypnotized you too?"_

_"No!" _Ayasa stammered as he tried to form his next words. _"You can't keep thaying that when you know he'ths been only good to uths. He hathn't tried to eat uths or hurt uths or anything! He'ths a good human."_

_"You're only saying that because agraja told you that. There's no such thing as a good human."_

_"But matr really likeths him."_

_"Well, matr's not all that smart."_

Ulqui's ears flattened and he glared at the older of the twins.

_"That'ths not nithe to thay."_

Himsa shrugged. _"It's true. Females just aren't smart, everyone knows that."_

_"Agraja's thmart."_

_"No, she's not."_

_"Yeah, shlee iths! Agraja, aren't you thmart?" _he asked bringing Ulquiorra into the conversation.

He shrugged. _"I don't know, what makes you think I'm smart?"_

_"You can thspeak another language! And you're alwayths weaving that weird blanket. It lookths really hard to learn to do."_

_"That doesn't make agraja smart."_

_"Yeah it doeths."_

_"No, it doesn't."_

_"We'll thee if pitr thinkths that agraja ith thmart when he geths here!"_

_"Fine! He'll agree with me anyway and he'll think you're stupid for thinking differently."_

Ayas's brow creased and he pouted. _"You're mean..."_

_"Yeah and you're stupid, what's new?"_

At that, the younger scowled and stood. He turned to stomp of but Himsa reached out and grabbed his tail.

_"Where are you going?"_

_"Let go of my tail. I don't want to talk to you anymore."_

Himsa yanked and Ayasa fell onto his rump. _"Get back here."_

_"I thaid let go!" _he commanded and reached back to cuff his brother in the nose. Himsa yowled and bit him making the other wail in pain.

Ulqui hopped up and grabbed the older twin when he smelled blood. _"Let go, Himsa." _The kit let go just so he could bite Ulqui's hand. The elder neko yelped and gave him a harsh slap._ "Don't bite others."_

_"Don't tell me what to do!"_ he yelled and brought his hand across Ulqui's face before darting away.

Ulqui gasped and clutched his cheek where his brother's claws had dug in. Blood oozed slowly from the scores left there. Aya made a surprised sound at the sight. He sniffled.

_"Don't cry... it's not that bad..."_

The door opened letting Grimm in. "I got all the way out there and realized that I'd forgotten my wallet," he announced on a sarcastic laugh. He went quiet upon seeing Ulqui kneeling on the floor. "Hey, hey what happened?" he asked as he dropped next to his mate.

"I'm fine-"

_"Himsa hurt agraja," _Ayasa told him.

Grimmjow's grasp on Ulqui's shoulder was firm as he pulled the neko to his feet and dragged him towards the bathroom with Aya close behind. He sat Ulqui down on the toilet, wet a rag and carefully pulled his hand from his cheek so that he could clean the wound. He sighed in relief and made Ulqui hold the washcloth to his cheek. "There's more blood than damage it seems. _Did you get hurt too, Aya?_"

Ayasa had been clutching his palm to his chest and nodded in answer to the question. Grimm grabbed a new rag to clean his smaller wound.

"He's gettin' it when I'm done here," he grumbled as he shook his head. He grabbed the tube of Neosporin from the first aid kit and put generous amounts of the ointment on their wounds. "He shouldn't be raising his hands against anyone, especially his own siblings!" He peeled the cover off of a large bandage and put it on Ayasa's bite but he had to use gauze and tape for Ulqui's wound since he didn't have a regular bandage big enough for it.

The nekos washed their hands (Aya could only wash one) at Grimm's request and then went to sit on the couch while he went into the extra room where Himsa had hidden.

_"COME HERE RIGHT NOW!"_

They jumped but stayed seated throughout the yelling and the bit of bumping around as the human no doubt had to catch the young neko so he could dole out the earned punishment. The bumping stopped but wailing took over the silence it left. The crying was louder when the human exited and was muffled once more once the door was closed.

_"Neither of you two are to go back there and mess with him, okay?" _he ordered and they nodded. He took a moment to check on their bandages and seemed confident that they were secure. _"I'm going out like I said, call me if anything happens." _They nodded again and the bluenet bestowed a kiss unto Ulqui's forehead. He checked to make sure he had his wallet his time and left.

The truck rumbled off and Ayasa seemed to release a breath he'd been holding. _"He'ths really thscary when he'ths mad..."_

Ulqui nodded._ "I think this is the first time I've seen him actually mad... not just annoyed or frustrated..."_

_"Haths he ever hit you?"_

_"Once, but I hit him first." _He sighed through his nose and laid down. Emerald eyes slipped closed. _"I'm suddenly very tired..." _A groan slipped from him as his brother crawled onto his stomach and laid down as well.

_"I'm thorry jami* hurt you..."_

Ulqui pet his head.

b~~~d

Grimmjow returned from his shopping excursion with his few purchases. He carried everything to the porch before even opening the front door. "Ulqui, can I get some help?" he said and lugged in the toilet paper and two of the six bags. He paused and smiled upon seeing two of the three nekos sleeping on the couch. Ulqui slept on his back with his hands crossed over his stomach and Ayasa had his face burrowed into the pillow opposite Ulqui.

He just shook his head and carried everything to the kitchen by himself. It took a while for him to put everything away but when he finished he went to check on the nekos.

What had been just a spot of red on the gauze on his mate's cheek was now over taking the white so he got the first aid kit to change out the gauze and slather on more ointment. Ulqui woke enough to glare at him grumpily but lied still as Grimm worked. He got up as Grimm went over to check Ayasa's bandage.

"Get everything we needed?" he asked as he stretched in his usual feline fashion.

"Yeah. Himsa been quiet?"

Ulqui murmured, "I guess since he didn't wake either of us."

Grimmjow rested Aya's hand back on the pillow he rested on. "I'm going to have Aya sleep here tonight; Himsa still needs some alone time, and the last thing I want is for the brat to make Ayasa do something stupid and get himself in trouble."

"I agree." Ulqui headed for the kitchen. "I think I'll make lunch."

"Mm, please," Grimmjow murmured and headed for the extra room. The door squeaked slightly as he opened it, drawing the gaze of the golden eyed kit sitting in the corner he'd left him in. He resisted the urge to comment that Himsa had actually followed his directions for once. _"Don't look at me," _he grumbled and Himsa went back to staring at the corner. Nodding, Grimm went to the pile of blankets and extracted one before leaving and shutting the door quietly behind him.

The soft blanket being lain out on him woke Ayasa, and he sat up and rubbed his eyes. _"Um... welcome back, human."_

_"Call me Grimm, please. And thank you."_

The kit nodded but stayed silent.

Ulqui set a plate with a salami, ham, lettuce, and mayo sandwich with chips on the island for Grimm to have and set work on ones for himself and his brothers. The human sat at the island to eat and Ayasa eventually took the seat next to him and received his own lunch.

_"It'ths good, agraja. Dhanyavada."_

_"You're welcome." _He set aside the sandwich for himself and made one for Himsa next. "I can give this to him, right?"

The bluenet shrugged. "You can try, no guarantee he'll eat it. If he does you can tell him I said he doesn't have to face the wall anymore."

Ulqui disappeared into the back and returned shortly. "He's quiet... and eating." His eyes narrowed and an eyebrow raised. "What did you do to my _kanistha, _Grimmjow?"

He swallowed and looked to the suspicious neko. "Same thing my old man did to me when I got outta hand as a brat." He lifted a hand. "Threw him over my knee and took a bare hand to his bare ass. Then I told him to sit and watch the corner, and if I saw him not facing it I'd whoop him again. Seems to have worked, at least for today. For all we know, he'll relapse tomorrow."

He nodded in understanding and went to eat his sandwich.

They finished soon and Ulqui gathered the dishes and threw them into the sink for later.

_"Agraja... can I go out-thide?"_

_"You'll have to ask my mate..."_

Grimmjow gave him a look wondering why it was specifically up to him. He dropped it however and looked to Aya who looked away quickly. _"Well?"_

_"C...Can I go out-thide..?" _he asked without looking at him.

With a grunt, Grimm slid off the stool and plucked Aya off of his. The kit squeaked in surprise as he was carried towards the glass door. Grimm set him in front of it before putting his nearby ball into Aya's hands and opening the door. _"Don't climb over the barrier, or you'll be in trouble."_

Aya looked at the green yard in front of him and then at Grimm before wandering out. It was warm enough out that Grimm could leave the door open and he went back to sit at the island where he got a kiss on the cheek.

"What was that for?"

Ulqui nibbled on some chips from the bag. "I just wanted to kiss you."

He crooked his finger. "Well, then get over here and give me a real one."

Ulqui dropped the nearly empty chip bag and strolled over. He wrapped his arms around Grimmjow's neck and pressed his thin lips to Grimm's slightly plumper ones. The bluenet pulled him into his lap and he gladly straddled it, wrapping his legs about Grimm's waist.

Lips retreated, but Grimm went after them and captured them in a kiss again.

They would've kept kissing for quite sometime if they hadn't noticed movement in the corner of their eyes. Himsa was standing quietly in the archway near them.

Grimmjow didn't glare._ "Need something?"_

The kit held up his empty plate and cup. Grimm held his hand out for it, and set the dishes on the island's top. _"Want some more water or anything?" _He shook his head. Grimm noticed the kit's gaze on the gauze on Ulqui's cheek. _"Something you want to say?"_

Himsa looked down. _"...m...ry..."_

_"We didn't hear you..."_

_"I'm sorry, agraja." _He sniffled. _"I d-didn't mean to _hic!_ hurt you..."_

Ulquiorra slipped off of his mate's lap and stood over his little brother. _"I don't accept..."_

_"Uh... kim? Kena, agraja? I really am sorry!"_

_"You would've never hurt me or your brother had you had a better grip on your temper. You wouldn't be here, disrespecting me and my mate, in our nest if you didn't cause so much trouble in the village; if you hadn't infected Aya with that terrible attitude you have. I bet you would raise your hand against matr if the whim struck you."_

_"I-I wouldn't!"_

_"You would... and you know it."_

Himsa's ears flattened and he looked to his feet without another word.

_"You should know better, Himsa. Right?"_

He nodded slowly.

_"Then it shouldn't have taken until my mate put his hands on you for you to realize that! Right?"_

He nodded again.

_"Well as long as you are aware of that, I think you can go back to the room and think on it."_

_"Yes, agraja," _Himsa uttered sadly as he turned and went back to the bedroom, his head hanging the whole way.

Ulqui watched him and turned around only after the door had clicked shut. "What are you smiling at?"

Grimm chuckled and shook his head. "You're such a mom."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, never."

x~x

**_Fifth Day_**

Himsa was still quiet the next day, his previous attitude still extinguished for the moment. Under the watchful eye of Ulqui, he made up with his brother and then the mama-cat allowed them to play in the backyard. They eventually went back inside for dinner (they had played through lunch) before taking a nap on the loveseat. Grimmjow returned while they were still asleep.

"Any problems?"

Ulqui shook his head, his hands busy with his needle and yarn craft. "There's dinner for you in the oven."

"Great." Grimmjow undressed from his outerwear. "I'll eat then take a shower. After that we can give the kits baths."

Ulqui lifted his gaze and watched Grimm as he moved about to do what he'd planned. Green cat eyes lowered from the organized mess of blue on his mate's head to his back where the material of his shirt clung to show off muscles and then lower to his backside. He rose from the couch.

"Dyaah!" Grimm jolted and gripped his plate tight when hands suddenly grasped his rear. "Something catch your attention back there?" he joked.

Ulqui squeezed. "I want to mark you."

"Mark?"

Slim hands slid to rest in front of Grimm's waist, making a loose embrace. "We don't carry each other's scents as strongly as if we'd marked each other."

"Oooh, mark." Grimm set his plate down and turned to wrap his arms around Ulqui. "I want to mark you too. Unfortunately, we'll have to plan for that. On a day where there are no kids around, and I'm not tired from work."

"I would like that." He sighed, melting into the hug. "I think I'm getting close to my fertile period. It's making me feel this intense urge to mate. I... want to mate with you."

"Soon, babe. Soon." They kissed.

_"I don't like you holding my agraja like that."_

_"Oh, hello to you too, Himsa,"_ Grimmjow greeted as they both looked to the kit on the other side of the barrier; only his head and shoulders were visible above the island.

_"Agraja should have a strong neko as a mate, not you."_

Ulqui pushed away after giving him another kiss. "You eat, I'll go give him a bath."

_"Agraja, I mean it!" _Himsa whined when he was ignored. The whining was much preferable to the usual growling and snarling he usually did.

_"I don't want a different mate," _Ulquiorra told his sibling as he rounded the barrier and took his hand. _"I love Grimmjow as my mate." _He led him towards the bathroom.

Himsa allowed himself to be led away without qualm._ "But why?"_

_"Because I feel safe and happy with him."_

_"You could be safe and happy at home too," _he claimed as he took a seat on the toilet, and watched Ulqui run some bathwater for him.

_"I may have been safe at home, kanistha, but I was never happy."_

_"O-Oh..."_

Ulqui stopped the water and stood, tossing in a rag. _"There. Now will you get in yourself, or will you give me trouble?"_

He hopped off the lid and began undressing. _"That's not me that's bad with baths, that's Aya."_

_"Why is that?"_

_"He fell into a river and almost drowned when we were five," _Himsa murmured an stepped into the warm water. _"Jyestha saved him before he swallowed too much water."_

_"Have you tried helping him get over his fear?"_

Himsa shook his head.

_"As his jami you should. I'm going to go get him now." _He turned to leave.

_"Okay. Ah, agraja?"_

Ulqui turned back to him to see Himsa reaching out a hand and took it._ "Yes?"_

He pursed his lips and looked down, unable to say what he wanted to say, but Ulqui figured it out.

_"I haven't yet forgiven you," _he told him softly as he touched the fresh gauze on his cheek. _"You haven't earned it yet."_

Himsa let go and went back to washing himself.

Ulqui was met with a surprise when he left the bathroom. Ayasa was near his mate, albeit with the barrier between them, timidly asking for a bite of Grimm's dinner. Spearing a bite for the kit, the bluenet held it out for him to take and eat. Ulqui called to his little brother and beckoned for him to come and take his bath.

He hesitated long enough that Grimm had to glare to get him moving. Aya undressed when he entered the bathroom and stood next to the tub. He didn't move to enter it.

Ulqui cleared his throat.

Himsa jolted. _"Oh... uh. Come on Aya. It's okay, it's not deep." _He offered his hand.

Whimpering a little, the younger took his twin's hand and carefully climbed in. He took another rag and began to wash. Ulqui left reminding them to call for him if the needed anything.

"Two more days."

The neko drew close to his human. "What?"

"Two more days and we'll have Pan back." He stretched. "I miss my boy."

Ulqui nodded. "Me too."

"I hope he's having fun with his grandparents though. Eh, I'm sure he is." He put his plate in the sink and rubbed Ulqui's ears when he was near. "I also hope we won't have to exchange kits again after this week is up; that your brothers will have learned to behave."

"Ayasa possibly, but I'm... unsure about Himsa..."

Grimm hummed and bobbed his head left to right in an indecisive manner. "Yeah... me too, but at the same time, I don't believe that he is a lost cause; he's still young. He just needs a good role model. His father's a good role mode, right?"

Ulqui appeared saddened and looked off to the side. "Not with the way we think... he believes the same about females as any other male neko -females are beneath males, they couldn't survive without a male around, they're only around to birth and rear kits- he's simply... less harsh about it... and he truly loves mother unlike many other males. Mother loves him back for it."

Grimm pursed his lips.

Ulqui sighed. "It... cannot be helped."

"It can."

"How?"

"Your kind only got this way because of us humans hurting you; directly or indirectly, it really doesn't matter. With the help of the organizations like NRAPA we can fix what we hurt and get nekos back to the honorable, loving culture they once had 60 odd years ago."

"...Perhaps..."

_"Agraja! We're done!" _one of the twins called to him from within the bathroom.

_"Did you clean your ears?" _Ulqui called back.

_"... No..."_

Grimmjow barked out a laugh; Ulqui meanwhile went to assist the kits in making sure they were thoroughly cleaned. After a while, all three nekos left the bathroom, the kits wrapped in towels as their clothing had to be washed. Ayasa looked a bit shaky but was fine despite his fears. They retreated to the room to stay warm and Ulqui returned to Grimm's side as the human was scraping up the last of his dinner. Ulqui took the dish and washed it quickly as the human rose from his seat and headed towards the bedroom to gather his clothes; he followed soon after.

The door the the extra room squeaked silently as it opened and Himsa peeked out of the crack he'd made. _"Agraja?"_

Ulqui looked at him dispassionately. _"Kim?"_

_"Do you... accept my apology yet?"_

Ulqui looked away. _"You don't yet deserve it..."_

_"But-!"_

The older neko walked away.

_"Agraja, I'm sorry!"_

He shut the door behind him, huffing and crossing his arms. "Ah!" he yelped softly as Grimm was suddenly upon him, gently palming his cheeks and inspecting the wound, which no longer bled.

Grimmjow kissed him softly and tangled his fingers in Ulqui's hair. "It's healing really well." He captured his lips again.

Ulqui pulled away and the human instead pressed buttery kisses to his neck. "I heal fast."

He rubbed their noses together before pulling away much to the neko's disappointment. "You're not accepting his apology yet?"

"No... if I accepted it now he won't learn his lesson and something like this," he pointed at the scratches, "will happen again. Probably with _matr_ or maybe another female. I don't want that." _It happens enough, _he thought to himself.

"Yeah... yeah, I understand, I just don't think he does."

"He will, or he'll just have to leave without my forgiveness come Friday..."

x~x

**_Sixth Day_**

Ulqui woke before the sun had risen from it's bed with an awfully dry and awful tasting mouth. Smacking his lips he rose from his bed and slipped away from his mate's warm embrace to go to the kitchen in search of some sort of relief. He slipped on a long nightshirt before venturing to the kitchen on quiet feet and retrieved some water from the tap. He drank most of the water before pouring the rest out and rinsing the rim of the cup off and setting it in the dish drain.

He wandered back towards the bedroom, pausing next to the other bedroom where his brothers should've been resting, as he could swear he heard whispering coming from within. He pushed the door open and peeked his head in. His brothers weren't in their bed as they should've been, but the light was on in the closet. With a silent sigh he went over to the door to get them out of there.

_"... agraja still doesn't like me..."_

_"It'th becauth you're bad."_

He paused, his hand hovering over the doorknob when he heard the uttered words. He cocked his head and brought his ear closer to the barrier and listened in on their conversation.

_"But I said sorry, and I really really meant it," _Himsa sniffled.

_"You shloudn't have hurt her in the firth plathe."_

_"I was angry..."_

_"Tho?"_

_"I really didn't mean it... do you forgive me, Aya?"_

_"..."_

_"Aya? Please?"_

_"... okay... but if you ever do that again I'll never ever talk to you ever again!"_

_"Thank you, jami."_

Aya grunted dismissively.

_"I just hope agraja will like me again. How can I make her like me again?"_

Aya hummed the "I dunno" sound._ "Mm mm-mm. Make her happy?"_

_"How?"_

_"Just do what shlee tellth you to do. Oh, and don't thay bad thingth about the human anymore."_

_"Why should I be nice to the human? Humans are bad and agraja needs to be with us in the village with a real alpha."_

_"The human... Grimm ithn't a bad human... Juth a little thary. I'm tharting to like him though..."_

Himsa scoffed. _"Should we start calling her jyestha too then?" _he grumbled sarcastically.

Ayasa gasped. _"That'th a great idea!"_

_"I was kidding!"_

_"I'm not. I think agraja would really like that."_

A small smile graced Ulquiorra's lips; he would like that, very much so.

_"But she's not male."_

_"Shlee thinkth shlee ith."_

_"That doesn't make it true."_

_"You want agra -er- jyestha to be happy with you again, don't you?"_

_"... yeah..."_

_"Then juth do what shlee wanth, and shlee wanth to be theen ath male."_

The twins grew silent after a while and Ulquiorra decided to finally run them out of their hiding spot. _"Young kits should be sleeping," _he uttered as he opened the door. The pair squeaked at being caught and darted around his legs to get to their bed. Ulqui pulled the string to turn off the light and went to tuck them in.

_"Agraja?" _Himsa ventured as the blanket was spread over him and his brother.

"Hm?"

_"Can I... have a hug?"_

Ulqui stared at him for a moment before dropping the blanket and kneeling next to Himsa. The kit sat up and wrapped his arms around Ulqui's neko while the older neko hugged him tight about the waist.

_"Tvam kamiyami, agraja..." _he murmured with his face buried in the other's neck.

Ulqui let out a heavy breath. _"I love you too, kanistha." _He pushed him away, holding Himsa in front of him. _"But I'm still angry with you. You know that right?"_

He nodded. _"I'll get better so you won't be angry anymore."  
_

_"Good." _He pulled his brother's ear good-naturedly and urged him to lie back down.

At Aya's urging, Ulqui gave him a hug as well before finally leaving them to go back to sleep.

True to his word to his younger sibling, Himsa behaved well the following day. He ate whatever was presented to him be it made by Grimmjow or Ulquiorra; He didn't glare or make snide remarks at the bluenet, he instead sat near Aya as the younger twin timidly attempted to talk to the human from time to time. His temper flared at one point, but instead of lashing out he went and sat in the corner Grimm had put him in those few days ago as if to remind himself what would happen if he acted up again. He returned from his corner after a few minutes calmer and continued on with the day.

Ulqui spoke to him over dinner later that night. He sat next to him at the table, and Grimm sat next to Aya. _"Is this how you are now? Or are you behaving well only to earn my forgiveness."_

He nodded vehemently._ "This is how I am now," _he promised. Ulquiorra shot him a dubious look and he lowered his head. _"I mean, I'm trying to be this way." _He set down his fork. _"I don't want you mad at me anymore, and I don't want matr and pitr to have to send us here because we're being bad -because I'm being bad... I'm going to be good now, agraja... I swear."_

Ulqui nodded. _"In that case... I think I can forgive you now."_

Himsa looked up at him, surprise laced his voice._ "Really?!"_

He nodded again._ "However, if I hear from our parents that you're acting up again I'll deal with you personally and harshly."_

Himsa leaned over and hugged his older sibling about his torso. _"Yes, agraja."_

Aya cleared his throat.

_"I mean... jyestha. Thank you."_

Ulqui scratched his ears and leaned down to kiss the top of his head.

x~x

_**Final Day**_

The curtain of the glass doors were left open as they awaited the arrival of Pantera along with whomever was escorting him home. The few articles of clothing Grimmjow had bought for Ayasa and Himsa were put in a bag along with their ball as they weren't playing with it at the moment. At that time they were sticking close to their older sibling as there was no telling when they'd see her again.

Eventually their was a knock at the side door and Grimm looked over to see the short form of his son at the door. He hopped up from the table and went to throw open the door. "Pan." As he kneeled the kitten threw himself into his arms, clutching the human's shirt and burrowing his face into his chest. The bluenet felt Ulqui come up behind him and place a hand on his shoulder as he leaned over to see his son.

"Aw, I missed you so much Pan! How are you?" he asked as he crushed his son into his chest. It was then that he realized that the kit was shaking like a leaf. "Pan? What's wrong?"

He sobbed and snuggled closer as if trying to crawl into the human.

"Pan!?"

Ulqui looked up and over towards the backyard when he noticed movement. His ears flattened in fear and he hunched down behind his mate as a natural reaction to danger. _"T-Tatha kimapi nasti...!"_

* * *

Aah! I'm so glad to be back! I missed you all! It was really hard to get back into Ayasa's speech impediment after two months XD. Oh and if you find any words I failed to translate and put into the dictionary, yeah, bring that to my attention if you'd be so kind!

_**Dictionary**_

_Baubhuksa: _One who is always hungry (Thank you Guest for pointing this one out!)

_Jami: _Brother or Sister_  
_

_Narya jamatr: _Human stepson

_Tatha kimapi nasti: _No, it is not so (Note: Think of it along the lines of "No. It can't be!"_  
_


	12. XI: Culture Shock

**Edit: **XD Wow, I went back to the first chapter and I read that Silver had had a boy and **TWIN **girls... so... yeah... oops.. *dies*

I'M SO SOOORRRRYYYYY! *tears* I didn't mean to make you wait so long for a new chapter, I swear! I made this chapter almost twice as long as usual (13,000+ words) to make up for it!

**Just some things to note about this chapter:**

For this story I will not be using italics for the dialogue other than the specific Sanskrit words I use, so keep in mind that they're speaking Sanskrit throughout this chapter.

Hmm... Me thinks I should explain some of the phrases I've used in this chapter to help you better picture the nekos of the village:  
Newling: Simply a newborn or recently born kit  
Kit: A neko between the ages of 1-4 years (A toddler basically)  
Older kit: A neko between the ages of 5-10, though Pan uses it to refer to any kit older than him in most cases  
Young neko: A neko between the ages of 11-16

Now that that's done, please enjoy!

* * *

The air was crisp and scented with pine as the neko tyke ran through the trees with his grandparents behind him. His laughter filled the air as he ran, beyond excited to be going to the village and seeing so many of his kind all at once. His heart clenched in shock when he heard running steps behind him and he was suddenly swept up in someone's arms. Gasping, he opened his eyes to see his grandfather holding him.

"Don't run so far ahead of us, _dauhitra_," Vegatama scolded lightly, bouncing the kit in his arms. He noticed Pantera's shaking. _"_Did I scare you?" His stern look softened when Pan nodded. "I'm very sorry."

Pan's smile returned and he hugged the yellow-eyed male around his neck. "It's okay _matamaha_!"

Sulalita caught up within a few seconds and they continued on after Pan was set once more on his feet. Eventually, weariness set in, and they carried him the rest of the way.

x~x

Chatter woke him from his short nap, and he lifted his head from his grandmother's shoulder to look around. They had reached the village while he was resting and now his grandfather was gone -no doubt to tend to any duties required of him- and his grandmother was sitting amongst many other female nekos who were cooing over him.

They were amazed at how much he looked like his mother and then awed by his strange colored eyes. His small stature and his backpack, which Sulalita was carrying for him, were commented on as well.

Pantera clung to his grandmother's neck as they walked deeper into the village, flanked by the women whom still chatted as they walked, but then finally left once they reached the small hut that was his grandparents' home. Sulalita brushed the curtain to the side and entered it.

"Here we are," she chirped and set him on the dirt floor that had soft hides spread out on it. Looking around, Pan saw the corner nearest the entrance had a fitted stone fireplace built into it with an overturned pot next to it. Across from the front entryway was another, shorter one that an adult would have to duck under, and yet another doorway was to his right. He correctly assumed that those were bedrooms. "It's not big like your nest, but it's home."

"I like it!" Pan said truthfully. "It's comfy."

Sulalita smiled. "Good." She headed for the room to their right. "I'm going to put this in the room over here, and you can go out and play. Maybe make a friend too."_  
_

The kit's smile was blinding at the thought of more friends. "Yah!" After receiving a pat on the head he rushed outside to search out new neko children.

A group of girls and an adult female were the first he found.

They looked like they were Toshiro's age so maybe they'd like him too despite the age difference. He approached them and introduced himself. The girls looked at him curiously while the adult neko glared furiously. She made the girls rise to their feet and hurried them away from Pan, much to the kit's confusion. Was there something wrong with him? Was their something on his face? Was his hair messy? Did he stink? He gave himself a sniff.

Still confused, he walked away from the place the nekos had been sitting in search of others.

He found a group of boys next, all of which were significantly larger than he which made him a little nervous... Why were they looking at him like that? "Ah!"

Pantera squealed as two of the five boys pounced and the others leaped to join in on play fighting with him. Pan didn't like play fighting however. He squirmed and whined until he managed to slip away, but they quickly caught him and tackled him to the ground again. Unable to get away this time, his only option was to squeal helplessly until an adult finally came to his rescue. The adult scolded the older, bigger, boys and sent Pantera on his way. Head hanging, the small kit headed back to his grandparents' house, rubbing the shallow bites he'd received.

His grandmother looked up with surprise when he returned. "Back so soon?"

"I don't wanna play anymore... I'll just draw pictures now," he told her simply.

She nodded and pointed to where she'd put his bag before returning to food preparation. Pantera recovered his bag and went outside where there was better lighting.

A grassy patch next to the home was where he settled and pulled out his pencils, paper and crayons. He didn't think before putting crayon to paper, he merely began to draw.

Eventually, a colorful picture of his mother was in front of him. He smiled as he looked at it for a while before setting it to the side with a rock set on a corner so it couldn't get blown away. Now that he had a picture of his mother, surely he had to draw one of his Grimm-poppy. He got out some blue and started.

"Pan?"

Pantera woke up at the sound of his name with a flinch and looked around.

"Pan!" his grandmother called for him again.

"C-Coming!" he shouted as he wavered to his feet and rushed to the front of the home after gathering his things.

The older mother cat placed a hand over her heart when he showed up. "Oh, there you are!"

"Sorry, I fell asleep," the little one murmured as he rubbed at his eyes and scratched his head.

Sulalita smiled and pulled him into her arms. "Aw, it's okay." She giggled and scrubbed at his cheeks. "Your face is all dirty. Ah well, we'll take a bath later, but for now come and eat."

"Yay! I'm hungry!"

They went inside and waiting for them was his grandfather as well as his uncle who he pouted and made a wary face at. The older male only sighed and shook his head. "You still hate me then?"

The kit look around nervously. "You made _matr_ cry..." Stew in a small wooden bowl was placed before him and he gingerly lifted it to his lips as there were no spoons. He flinched and put it down when it burned his lip.

Zusma sighed. "It wasn't my intention to make her cry. Besides crying isn't that bad."

"The last person that made _matr_ cry was _kupitr_..." he murmured. "Gimm-_pitr_ has never made _matr_ cry... ever."_  
_

"And that makes you think that I'm bad?"

"You are bad. Only bad people make others cry sad tears."

"So in that case I am still good then?" his grandfather asked as he ate, and received a nod from Pantera. "That's good."

"What does that mean?" Zusma demanded as he ignored the meal placed before him.

"_Matamaha_ made _matr_ cry, but they were happy tears, so that's okay."

Zusma grunted in displeasure.

Sulalita settled beside her husband with her own bowl of stew. "Come now, your stew will go bitter with all these bad feelings."

That prompted the kit to take a sip. "Nuh uh! It's still good!"

Sulalita laughed and proceeded to eat. Vegatama and Zusma soon followed suit. They finished in silence with the resident mama-cat gathering the bowls for them to be washed with the water kept in a bucket . Pantera wanted to go back outside to draw, but he was told to remain inside and await his bath. He was warned that it wouldn't be as warm as what he was probably used to, but the kit shrugged it off; he could take some cold water. Pan sat near his grandmother as she worked, awaiting his bath.

The bath was cool like he'd been warned, but he only squealed with delight as he was splashed and scrubbed and shivered and giggled as he was dried off. Wrapped in a warm cloth, he watched and waited as Sulalita undressed to give herself a bath. Pan gasped as her undergarments fell away.

"You're a boy _matr_ just like _matr_!"

The female chuckled and shook her head as she dipped her cloth in the water and began to wash. "No, Pan. I am a girl."

_"But..." _He innocently and confusedly stared at the small set of male parts his grandmother had; he was still too young to know that such actions were rude or maybe awkward for the other party.

"I think I'm a girl therefore I am a girl," she murmured as she bathed. "Your _matr_ thinks that he is a boy therefore he is a boy."

Vegatama decided to make his appearance then. "Atridrutam is female."

"Ulquiorra is male." Her ears flattened at the glare she received. "Please do not confuse him, husband. His stay here is only temporary, and it wouldn't be right to change his views and what he was taught and told."_  
_

Vegatama huffed in annoyance and conceded begrudgingly. Looking at his grandson, he reached over and snatched the squealing kit up. He nuzzled the kit as he carried him back around the hut and into the house.

"My pictures!" Pan cried as he was set down. "They're still outside."

"I'll get them," he murmured as he rubbed the cloth over Pan's ears and then his tail. He raked his fingers through the kit's short locks before heading out. He returned as Sulalita was dressing Pan and herself for bed. The kit didn't fully understand, however. Sure it was dark, but he knew that it was still a bit early for bed. Besides, he'd had a nap earlier.

Nonetheless, his grandmother gathered him up and carried him to their room. The bed was a pile of soft furs and blankets they'd probably found, and he found it comfortable as he was laid down. His grandmother curled up behind him, and then his grandfather behind her, closest to the door. His long arm draped over his mate and gently teased his hair which was curling slightly at the edges as it air dried.

He honestly hadn't expected for his eyes to close...

x~x

_**Second Day **_

Little ears twitched at the murmuring voices nearby, prompting the sleeping neko kit to awaken. Yawning and stretching, he rubbed sleep crumbs from his eyes before looking around. His grandparents had already left the room, and he could hear them just outside, so he decided to go to them, and bid them good morning. His grandmother smiled at him and dragged him over for a kiss and he recieved good morning hair tousle from his grandfather. A bowl of wild berries was set into his lap as his breakfast, and he tucked into it as the adults talked.

"The women won't be allowed to venture far from the village today, by the way," Vegatama murmured as he stole a berry right from his grandson's hand. He chuckled at the angry pout Pan shot him. "Someone spotted a band rogues. They appear to be just passing through, but it's best not to give them any chances. A few more males than usual will be left in the village while we hunt."

Pan swallowed a morsel and asked excitedly, "Can I come?!"

"Hm? Come where _dauhitra_?" Sulalita asked.

"Hunting!"

The declaration baffled the adults. "You're too young to hunt," Vega told him. "Far too young, and far too small; you could get hurt. Besides, what would you do?"

Dark ears flattened. "No, I'm not. I hunted when me and _matr_ were alone. I caught lotsa birds! And Gimm-_pitr _said that I could come with him the next time he went hunting. I could help you hunt, or maybe just watch you."

Vegatama was firm. "No you will stay here with the other kits and females." Grumbling mostly to himself, he said, "And I'll have to speak with Grimmjow about this."

"But I could help..."

"But Pan, small birds are all fine and well for a mother and her kit, but it wouldn't feed a village, and surely you don't think you can take down big game like bucks and moose?"

Odd-colored eyes widened as he shook his head. "Nuh uh! I'd climb a tree if I saw a moose!"

Sulalita laughed. "How could you possibly climb a tree?"

Pan put his bowl down and bounced to his feet. "Come look," he said and ran outside. When the adults caught up, he was already halfway up a tall tree the hut was closet to. His grandmother panicked.

"_Dauhitra, _no! Get down from there. You'll fall! You'll get hurt!"

"No, I won't," he chirped and continued to climb. He gasped and froze when the tree shuddered under his hands and yelped when teeth gripped his scruff. A small thrill of fear went through him as his claws slipped from the bark and he dropped until his scruff was pulled taut. An arm wrapped around his stomach before they descended and he was freed. Rubbing his neck where he'd been bit, he turned around to face who'd brought him down from the tree. "Why'd you-"

His grandfather, the one who'd retrieved him, swatted him once in the ear. Pantera whimpered and covered them as tears welled up.

"Never do that again!"

"_Hic! _But I-"

"No!" Vega boomed with finality. "You will not climb trees, and you will heed our words when we we speak to you. I don't know how things are when you're at home, but while you are here you follow our rules. Do I make myself clear?"

A hiccup chocked his words so he just nodded.

The stern look softened, but only just, and with a gesture Sulalita picked him up and took him back to the hut; passing through the small crowd that had formed. Once inside, the mama-cat checked Pan's hands for injury (for which she found none) and dug out a long piece of cloth. It was dull with age, slightly frayed at the edges and looked as if it hadn't seen use in quite some time, but it was still rather nice to look at. She tied a tight knot with the farther ends and slipped it over her neck and one shoulder. She set Pantera in the small pouch it made and headed out, clutching a bundle in one arm as well.

Pan stayed nuzzled up to his grandmother's breast as he continued to simper and she carried him through the village, stopping only once she reached a place where there was chattering and childish laughter. The kit lifted his head and looked around as she settled on the ground.

His grandmother was sitting amongst a circle of many other mothers and at its center, surrounded by the women, were young kits, many as young as a few days and some as old as a year. They crawled and tottered around unable to escape the circle as the mothers would stop them. Outside the circle some males were roaming and watching over them with watchful eyes as well as some young neko females who talked amongst themselves, not wanting to be near the young kits. Pan wasn't sure where the older kits were, but he could definitely hear them laughing and playing somewhere behind his grandmother.

Sulalita hummed as she tugged the bundle she'd been carrying onto her lap and began working a bone needle and thread on a hole in it, making tiny holes with her claws in places where it was too hard to push the needle through. A mother across the way laughed.

"Your husband ripped his pants again?" she asked.

"Only on the leg this time," Sulalita told her. "Besides, they're really old, and old clothes are prone to ripping."

"You should make some new pants with that string weaving skill you learned from your _putri_."

Sulalita paused as she thought about it before shaking her head. "No, I'm far too new at it to make something like that, and I'm not sure if they'd be very comfortable."

The other mother shrugged and reached down to grab a kit that was mewling pitifully at her for attention.

Pan rested his head back down and stared up at his current caretaker. She was still humming as she worked, not sparring him a glance as she was so focused on her task. Her concentration only broke when a newborn tried to escape. After a while, he tried to get up.

Sulalita stopped him. "Ah, ah, ah, stay there Pan."

"_Kena_?"

She looked at him "'_Kena'? _Well, because you're on punishment now."

His ebony eyebrows knitted and his ears flattened. _I've never been punished before... _"But why?" he wanted to know.

Now it was Sulalita's turn to knit her brows. "For disobeying your matamaha and I of course."

"_Kim? _But I just wanted to show you that I can climb trees!"

She looked back at her needlework. "Kits do not belong in trees, _dauhitra._"

His lip quivered as his confusion and hurt increased. "But that's how me and _matr _always stayed safe. Always. We slept in them and everything! _Matr _made me climb a tree when he couldn't protect me."

She gazed at him once more with worry in her eyes. "When was Ulquiorra ever be unable to protect you?"

"When _kupitr _tied him up. He wanted the wolves to carry me away and eat me," he explained a touch too calmly for the neko female's liking.

The statement garnered the attention of some of the other mothers as Sulalita looked at him with horror, her needlework forgotten. "He wanted... wh-what? Why would a sire ever want that!?"

"Because I'm little," Pan said as if it made all the sense in the world.

"That's hardly a reason!" she cried, upsetting a few newlings who crawled away from her. She pulled Pan from the sling so that he could sit in front of her. "Why would anyone ever try something so horrible?"

"Because I'm a runt, and runts are bad... at least that's what _matr _says that males think."

"Males don't think that way kit," another mother who was nursing one of her kits interjected."What has Atridrutam been filling your head with?"

The confusion deepened. His mother's reason had made so much sense to him -runts were weaker and therefore wouldn't be able to help very much in the future when they were older- but not only that, his mother had never lied to him. And the evidence had been there to support the claim that males didn't want runts as Pan had been the only one his sire had tried to get rid of; he'd never tried to hurt his brothers. "But then why would _kupitr _try to feed me to the wolves and not my _jyesthas_?"

Yet another mother joined the conversation with a gasp. "Your father was a rogue neko, wasn't he?"

"Wuzzat?"

"Rogue nekos live away from villages either by themselves or in bands like what's passing by right now," the mother explained.

Pantera nodded. "Uh huh. It was just _kupitr, _my _matr, _and another _matr. _I don't _matr _liked her." He murmured the last part thoughtfully.

The mother shook her head with pity. "Their beliefs and ways of thinking are very different from ours, _stoka bidalika_. Since they do not have the support of an entire village like we do it's hard to take care of a bunch of kits. They'll find reasons to... get rid of a few if need be; a regular neko male would never do that, or at least not ours. Alright?"

Pantera was still trying to process all of the information, but nodded anyway.

The woman shook her head again. "What started this awful conversation anyway?"

"My _dauhitra _climbed a tree earlier; nearly scared me to death."

His lip poked out. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to show you."

Sulalita pet his head. "I know, but usually kits can't climb trees until they're almost 5, so I could only think that you would fall and hurt yourself."

"_Matr_ taught me really well," was all the kit said and purred as he was pet.

"I'm sure he did."

x~x

The males returned sometime after noon with their bountiful kills as well as good news: the rogues had moved on. The three deer, two moose, and many large, heavily feathered birds were laid out in the middle of the slapped together village and some of the females, like his grandmother, began working of skinning, defeathering, and gutting the beasts so that the meat could be portioned for distribution to the many villagers. The males who'd hunted left to bathe at the stream and, after returning, switched out with the males who'd stayed behind to take over guarding the village and its inhabitants.

Pan's stomach grumbled as he watched the meat get sliced up and licked his lips. It was still warm and fresh, enticing him to ask for a bite, but he was denied. The kit wanted to protest, but figured he'd get another swat, and held his tongue.

The earth was stained red once the women were finished, and they went home to begin cooking while the men cleaned up the mess as well as chased kits home.

Delicious smells from all around filled the air as the mothers and daughters cooker their meals either outside or inside their homes using whatever spices they could find in the wilds to flavor their meat and vegetables. Sulalita cooked outside at a fire pit that was close to a second one where a young neko was tending the fire while her mother cleaned her messy, rowdy younger siblings. She chatted happily and freely with Pantera's grandmother of rumors and her hopes for the future before her mother finished and she had to leave the fire to watch them while her mother cooked. Their husbands wandered over later and sat with their toes near the fire.

"So you think the land to the east is goo for farming, _Sri _Vegatama?" the other male asked as he pulled one of his sons into his lap and stroked the fussy newling's back.

Vega was quiet as his wife fed him and Pan tastes of the night's dinner. "Hmm, it needs something. Ah, and perhaps. It's flat and close to both the stream and the village. I scouted it after my bath and saw that it was even uphill so we could even fend off an attack from there if needed."

"But is it fertile?"

"I think so, but I will send an expert tomorrow to make sure. Have you seen _Tilvila*, _by the way?"

"Only in passing, but you know that Zardulan has always kept to himself."

Vega scratched his him and pulled his toes away from the fire to rub them. "I'll have to track him down then. He'll probably be quite excited to be able to practice his trade again."

The other nodded. "And we can even grow plants for clothing. Oh, and medicinal plants."

"And flowers?" Pan piped up as he wandered closer.

The males looked at him. "What would we use flowers for, _dauhitra_?"

"For coloring stuff!"

Vega cocked his head. "Like dying cloth?"

"Yah!"

"The women would like that," the other husband murmured and looked to his wife. "Would you like that?"

"Yes, husband. I want to dress our kits in something other than a shade of brown."

The adults laughed.

Vega sighed and rested a heavy, calloused hand in Pantera's hair as he spoke to Sulalita. "Was _dauhitra _good today?"

"Yes husband. A perfect little kit."

He snorted. "And am I right to think that there will be no more climbing incidents?" he wondered as he looked to the kit from the corner of his eye.

"But-"

"Are we?"

Pantera sighed. "No _matamaha..._"

He gave his grandson's head a loving pat. "Good."

Zusma joined them as dinner finished up and stayed for dinner as he had the day prior, and same as yesterday, Pan avoided looking at him and didn't speak to him unless spoken to first."

"You're going to have to forgive me sooner or later, _stoka bidalika_."

Pan shook his head. _"Na kadapi."_

"Really, Pan? Never?" his grandmother asked.

The kit screwed up his face. "Hmm... maybe... if _matr_ tells me to.."

x~x

_**Third Day**_

During their simple breakfast, Vegatama announced that he'd be gone for the day and that Pan would no longer be on punishment.

The kit cheered and jumped to his feet, nearly upending his bowl of mashed tubers that was prepared fresh earlier that morning. His excitement made Sulalita giggle and once he calmed she washed his face and dressed him. He tried to run outside but Vegatama stopped him.

"Where do you think you're going?" the golden-eyed neko wanted to know.

"To play!"

"You know where to go?"

Pan cocked his head. "I have to go somewhere?"

"Yes, kits your age have to be watched over."

"_Kena_?"

"For your safety, of course."

His thin brows came together and his ears flattened. "I'm not safe here?"

"No, you're safe, but..." he trailed off as he tried to find the words to make the kit understand. "We don't have a big wall for a boundary, so other males watch you to make sure you don't unwittingly run off somewhere dangerous."

Pantera nodded; that made sense. "_Matamaha, _will you take me to go play then?"

Vega smiled and murmured, "Of course," before gathering him up and heading out.

Somewhere near the village's center was where the designated "play area" was situated. Despite it still being early, there were already many kits playing around under the watchful gazes of males, and over to the side he saw the circle of mothers and kits that he'd been with the day prior. He noticed something else as he approached: the girls and the boys were playing completely separate from each other. He stared in confusion as he was nuzzled and set to his feet at the edge of the play area which was marked off by a line of small river stones.

As Vegatama left, after having given a nod to one of the sentries, Pantera walked over to the boy side as he figured that's what he had to do, but froze when he saw a familiar group of boys among all the others. They were the boys who had pounced and bit him when he first arrived. They along with many of the other, unfamiliar, boys were all wrestling with each other on their side of the play area, and that was a deal breaker as well since Pan didn't even like pretend fighting. He didn't want to be with older kits who might not be nice to him like Shiro was.

Looking over to the girls, he saw that they were playing quietly with each other, and that suited Pan just fine. He turned and walked towards the girls.

A few more steps would've gotten him all the way over to the girls, but his scruff grabbed and he was yanked upwards. Limp and helpless, he could do nothing as he was turned to face an annoyed looking neko male with wild dark hair.

"What're ye doin? Ye ain't a gerl," he grumbled with clenched teeth.

Pan could only look at him with fearful eyes as he was finding it difficult to speak. Once the male released his scruff to put him on his hip he spoke. "I was going to go play," he explained as he was carried back to the boy side.

"Not wit gerls ye ain't. Go play wit the boys."

"I don't want to."

He stopped and looked at Pan. "Why not?"

"Some of the bigger boys pounced on me a while ago; I didn't like it."

"Well then get 'em back."

"But I'm not strong, and I'm small."

"So?" He set Pantera down near the boys and gave him a slap on the rear to get him going. "Ye can't get stronger if ye don' practice, so go git a few bites in."

"But-" His shoulders slumped as the neko turned and walked away. Why did the adults seem to ignore or brush him off so much here? Was it because he was a runt? Or because he wasn't from the the village? Or was it just because he was young? Pan wasn't sure, but either way he didn't like it one bit. Was it bad that he already wanted to go home?

"It's you!"

An "eep!" left the kit and he whipped around to see two of the familiar boys behind him.

On grabbed his wrist and tried to pull him over but Pantera resisted. "C'mon."

Despite the kit resisting as hard as he could, he knew he could still be pulled off balance with just a yank from the older, bigger, stronger kit. "No, I don't want to play with you."

The older kit let go and Pan fell onto his rump with a squeaky yelp. He put his hands on his hips and glared down at Pan. "And why not?"

"You were mean to me the day before yesterday."

"Nuh uh, no I wasn't."

"Yeah huh, you and the other big kits," he retorted as he stood and dusted his rump off.

"No we weren't, we were playing with you." By then the argument had earned the attention of the other boys as well as a few adults, including the one Pan had met only a few moments prior. "Stop being stupid and come play with us already."

Pan crossed his arms stubbornly and his lower lip poked out unbeknownst to him. "I'm not being stupid, so leave me alone. I'll play by myself." He turned to stomp home.

Not letting up, the big kit grabbed his tail and gave it a rough yank. "Get back here!"

With a sharp cry, Pan fell again. Before he could react, the other kit pounced on him and little fangs latched onto his ear and pulled. Pan managed to push him off with a well placed foot, and scampered off in the direction of his grandparents house.

"Ay! Git back 'ere!"

Pan kept running anyway managing to get to the hunt before the guard could catch him, unfortunately the male followed him in. He hid under some furs in the main area.

"What're ye doin, runnin off like that? Git back to where ye need to be!"

"No!"

"What ye just say?" he growled in warning.

"I don't wanna go back!" he cried. "I wanna play by myself!"

"Well that ain't an option." The fur was ripped off of him and he shrieked and tried to run, but a heavy hand on his back stopped him.

"Stop it! Don't touch me!"

There was a growl and he was yanked over the knee of the sentry. "Who do you... think yer... talking to like that?" he demanded, his sentences halting as he punctuated each part with a slap to the kit's butt.

Pantera crumbled into wails and sobs at the pain, and he beat at the male with small fists as he screamed, "Let go! Let GO! Put me DOWN! Waaa-AAAAH!" He flailing eventually earned him freedom, but he didn't run, instead he flopped down face first into the furs and wailed into them.

_I wanna go home! I wanna go home! _he thought as he continued to sob. _I want my matr and my Gimm-pitr!_

"What is going on here?!" the voice of his grandmother demanded behind him. Usually he would run into the arms of someone like her, but not today. He didn't want anyone who wasn't his mother or Grimmjow.

"_Srimati _Sulalita? I didn't realize I'd entered the home o' the chief."

"What have you done to my _dauhitra_?"

"The chief brought 'em to the play area, but he made a scene and ran 'ere. I punished em for that as well as his mouth, and now I'll take 'em back."

"I don't understand. What exactly did Pan do?"

The guard tugged on the kit in attempt to pick him up, but the kit screamed at him again and swiped at his hands. "Why ye- tsk. He tried to play with the gerls fer some reason, and when I stopped 'em and took 'em over to play wit the boys, he refused to play wit 'em and ran off."

"Pan is he telling the truth?"

Pantera didn't answer.

"Pan!" She huffed when she was ignored again. "_Dhanyavada, _but I think I'll handle it from here."

The guard grunted and the furs shifted as he moved away. He muttered to Pan, "Gon git it now, kit," as he exited and Pan's grandmother took the guard's place on the floor.

There was silence for a few moments.

She exhaled loudly. "Pantera, what's going on with you?" He didn't answer and she tried to grab him. "Pantera, I'm speaking to you!"

He pushed her hands away and curled up. "No! I don't want you! Leave me alone!"

"Why on earth are you acting like this Pantera? This isn't like you."

Angered, he lifted his head and glared at the older neko woman, but the pout took away some of the force behind the glare. "_Samyata*! _You don't know me! You don't know anything!"

She gasped, appalled by his tone, and then scowled. "Watch your mouth, _dauhitra_! Straighten up now, or I'll have to tell your _matamaha_ about this; that you're being an bad kit!"

Now, he was sitting up. "I'm not bad! You don't know anything! **I** don't know anything! And it's you're fault! I didn't know I couldn't climb trees! I didn't know I couldn't play with the girls! I didn't know I couldn't play by myself! You and _matamaha_ didn't tell me and then you were mean and hit me when I did something bad! _Matr _and Gimm-_pitr _never hit me! Never ever! They tell me when I do something bad and then I never do it again because I know now." He sniffed and scrubbed his eyes as he thought about going home again. "You, and _Matula_ Zusma, and _matamaha_ are all mean, and I wanna go home now! Now! Now! Now!" He flopped down again and continued to bawl his eyes out despite his grandmother trying to sooth him. When she once again endeavored to pick him up, he swiped at her hands and ran to a corner to curl up and cry more

b~~~d

Sulalita sighed sadly and looked over to her grandson for probably the tenth time that evening. The little kit was still curled up in the corner, though at some point during the day, she'd thrown a blanket over him as the temperature had dropped a little.

The neko woman felt guilty. Pantera was right; it was her fault that so many mishaps had happened. How could could she have thought that he could live happily and safely here in the village when he was raised so differently? It showed in everything he did; from how he acted to how he spoke.

A sound at the door caught her attention and she whipped around to see her husband. Vegatama didn't look at all happy. He appeared livid, his tanned, muscular arms crossed, his brows firmly knitted and creating deep creases in his forehead, his lips pursed into a thin line, and his tail twitching. He didn't acknowledge his wife at first, instead he scanned the room until gold eyes landed on the motionless lump in the corner before finally looking at her. "I got back to the village and was told that Pan was acting out." He gestured over his shoulder. "The neighbors even told me that they heard yelling earlier; want to tell me what's been going on while I was gone?"

Sulalita scooted over a little and patted the space next to her. "Come sit, husband."

Begrudgingly, he stomped over and sat heavily beside her with arms still crossed, and looked expectantly at her as she turned to face him.

It took a moment of claw twiddling before she could talk. "We.. haven't been the best of guardians to our _dauhitra_." She put up her hands in a soothing gesture when his eyes narrowed. "Hear me out. We've been treating Pantera wrong; like he's a kit from a village instead of one who was raised by a single neko and then a human. They've given him a completely different set of rules to follow, and we've been expecting him to know and follow our rules without problems. Husband, he doesn't know our rules and we haven't been addressing the resulting mishaps and mistakes properly."

"What do you mean? What has been happening?"

"After we punished his for climbing that tree he told me something about it. Apparently, he's been climbing trees almost since he was born because those were the safest places for him and his matr. Ulquiorra once made him climb a tree to escape wolves."

"_Kim? _What was _putri _doing? Why wasn't she protecting him?"

Sulalita swallowed thickly. "His sire had tied Ulquiorra up in hopes that the wolves would eat Pan."

Vegatama flinched and his eyes went wide with disbelief.

"And then today he was yelled at for trying to play with the girls and then spanked when he ran home because he didn't want to play with the boys." Vega made a confused face so she elaborated. "The humans allow their boys to play with girls, and along with that, Pantera doesn't have many kits to play with from what I saw, and he always played rather quietly. We have many boys and they are not at all quiet and there are always other kits to play with here." She shook her head to shake the thoughts away. "In all, Pan is overwhelmed with all the changes, and we haven't been patient enough with him. We should just sit down and talk to him in the morning."

Vega nodded, something he'd been doing during the entirety of her speech, and the angered look finally softened. He pulled her into a warm embrace and kissed her hair. "So wise and intuitive. If you were male, I'd doubt my abilities as chief, and I'd fear for my title if you were strong on top of that."

"Don't worry husband, if I were male I wouldn't even want to be chief."

b~~~d

_**Fourth Day**_

Sniffles and teary hiccups roused Vegatama early the next morning. A large yawn popped his jaw and he looked over to see a quivering bump between him and his wife. He lifted up on one arm and gently tugged the fur away to reveal his grandson and quietly called to him. Bi-colored eyes looked up at him and then the kit snuggled closer and clung to him.

"'m s-_hic!_-sorr-ry, _mata-matamaha_... 'm sorry."

Sulalita roused as well and looked over at them with bleary eyes and disheveled hair.

"I was-was mad, I didn't m-mean it. _Hic! _You're not mean; _matamahi_ isn't mean. 'm sorry. I'll st-stop being a bad kit."

Vega shushed him and stroked his ears. "No, Pan, you're not bad."

"Yes, I am. 'm sorry."

Vegatama grunted as he shifted into an upright position and pulled the little kit into his lap. "No, no you're not. I promise you're not a bad kit. Your _matamahi_ and I are the bad ones."

Pan snuffled and then looked up at him with confusion. _"Kim?"_

:We didn't tell you the rules and punished you for breaking them, nor did we even ask you why you broke them in the first place. We were treating you as we would Ayasa and Himsa. That makes us bad."

"But... I said mean things, so I'm bad."

Sulalita snuggled up to them and kissed his head. "You were having a little tantrum, that's all. That doesn't make you a bad kit."

"It' doesn't?"

"No."

Oh..."

"Do you still want to go home?"

Pan shrugged. "I dunno..."

"Then I'll be a very good _matamahi_ so that you'll want to stay, okay?"

He smiled. "Okay!"

It was still too early to rise so they laid back down to wait for the sun to awaken. Vegatama woke with Pan still clutched in an arm and nice smells wafting over from the next room where his wife undoubtedly cooked their breakfast. Walking out with his grandson cradled in on arm, who scrubbed at his eyes with small fists and yawned, and Vega settled next to Sulalita to receive bowls of food which were largely made from what was leftover from dinner.

"Is there anything you want to do today?" Vega asked as he finished up and was handed a damp cloth for to wipe his and Pantera's face with.

"Hmm.." he murmured as his face was cleaned for him. "Can I just play by myself? I won't go far, I promise."

"Why don't you want to play with the other kits?" Vega wanted to know.

"I can't play with the girls and the boys just play fight all the time, and I don't like play fighting... Why can't I play with the girls?"

"It's just not our way."

"But why?"

"That's how it's always been."

"But can't you change it?"

"I could... but I'd have to ask everyone in the village if they want such a change."

Pan scrunched up his face in a thoughtful expression and nodded. "So can I play by myself."

"Where would you go?"

"Uhmm... to that tree I climbed; I wanna draw there."

The older male exhaled deeply and rubbed his face. "Very well... I'll allow it." _Only because you've proven that you can take care yourself._

Pantera cheered and threw his arms around his grandfather as far as they would go. _"Dhanyavada, matamaha!_

When they finished the morning routine, Vega walked Pantera to the kit's spot of choice. He, however, went past the initial tree and went to the other one behind it. It was still in view of the village so the neko chief didn't mind one bit. Vegatama continued to watch as Pantera sat and got out his drawing materials under the shade of the tree.

"And this where you'll be all day?"

"Here or at home!" Pan chirped, making the elder smile.

"Very well," he murmured. He roughly tousled his grandson's hair and turned to leave. "I'll leave you to your fun."

b~~~d

Happiness was with him once more as he hummed quietly while putting pencil to paper. The sounds of the wind through the trees and the insects and small animals scampering around soothed him greatly. Maybe when he got home he would ask if he could go beyond the fence and play in the forest. His mother would probably insist that he go with the kit, but that was fine. Actually, that'd be great. He could just imagine his mother sitting comfortably in a tree while knitting.

He giggled at the image that formed in his head and set aside the picture he'd been working on to start putting the thought into picture form. It was beginning to take shape when he heard someone approach and looked up.

A boy kit was there, peeking at him from the side of the tree he'd climbed those few days ago. Straight black hair fell from his head, slightly curling outwards as it reached his shoulders. His ears were black and tipped with silver and the same went for his tail which hung low a straight with nerves; the tip of it twitched with interest. The hide skirt he wore appeared to be a tad too big as it hung low n his hips and he had to grasp on side of it with his hand.

For some reason, the sight of the neko boy didn't put Pan on edge. _"Suprabhavya."_

The boy stared warily at Pan through large purple eyes. _"Suprabhavya._" He took a moment to look around before rounding the tree. "What are you doing?"

"Drawing. Wanna draw too?" he invited.

"Drawing?" he murmured as he knelt to look over Pan's things. He picked up a pink color pencil and smiled at it. _"Caru."_

"Here," Pan offered and gave him a little stack of paper, "you can draw with me."

"_Dhanyavada,_" he said before hunching over the blank sheets and running the pink pencil over it. He looked up as his hand worked. "I'm _Zazaka, _or _Zaza _for short."

Pan glanced at the ears atop Zaza's head. "You don't look like a bunny."

He laughed heartily. "No! I'm called that because I hop around alot and I really like them; both to eat and to chase."

"Ha ha ha! Well, I'm called Pantera!"

"What does that mean?"

"Panther. My Gimm-_pitr _gave me that name."

"Neat!"

For a moment they went back to drawing but a question weighed on his mind that Pantera really wanted to ask. "Zaza?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you so small? Are you a runt too?"

Zaza shook his head. "Uh uh. My _jyestha _told me that I was born the right size, but I'm growing slower for some reason."

"Oh."

The neko looked at him and squinted. "Where are you from, by the way? I don't think I've seen you around before."

"Oh, I live in the human village, but I'm here visiting my _matamaha_ and _matamahi_. _Matamaha_ is the chief!"

He flinched. "Ayasa and Himsa's parents?"

"Yah."

"And where are they?"

"With my _matr _and Gimm-_pitr _becase they're bad."

"Are you here because you're bad?"

Pan shook his head.

"Good." Zaza grabbed a green pencil and began shading her pink blob with it. "This is fun!"

"Uh huh! Here, look, I'm drawing my _matr _in a tree."

The other kit's eye went big. "Wow! That's really good." He flipped over his paper to the back. "Wait! I'm gonna draw something good too!"

The day went on like that with the kits happily and laughing together. While Pan worked on the picture of his mother, Zaza drew a myriad of bunny pictures.

"You really like bunnies," Pan commented after the fifth bunny drawing he'd made; Zaza was improving with each try.

"Yeah; they're cute!"

It was around the seventeenth bunny that the kits began to get sleepy. Zazaka was the first to rest his head on the ground and fall asleep. Pan joined him, scooting his many bunny pictures away so that e could curl up with him and nod off.

b~~~d

The chief returned to the village hours later from his excursion to the probable farmland. Tilvila confirmed that the soil there was indeed fruitful and the process of prepping it for farming would begin on the morrow, postponing the plans for better homes that would withstand the far off winter. He walked home to find his wife weaving string and greeted her with a kiss to her cheek before asking about Pantera's whereabouts.

"He should still be out playing. A few guards and mothers came by throughout the day telling me all about it because the were afraid I wasn't aware of what he was doing," she giggled.

Vega grunted. "And he's been there all day?"

"From what they told me, yes."

"Hmph, he's been without proper supervision for longer than enough; I'll go get him. Without waiting for his wife's next words, he turned and left the home to go get his grandson. He heard the kit rather than saw him as he approached and upon listening closer he could distinguish two voices, but when he was within viewing distance he could only see Pantera. It wasn't until he was right on top of them that he noticed the other kit sitting on the hidden side of the tree.

"Hi, _matamaha!_" Pantera greeted.

The other kit flinched and looked p at him with large, guilty eyes, and Vega's eyes narrowed upon seeing the familiar face.

"Look, I made a friend! This is-"

The kit hastily shoved a pile of pictures into Pan's lap, "Thanks so much! Keep these for me, please?" before running off. "Bye, Pantera."

"Oh uh... see you tomorrow," Pan called after the retreating kit softly and with uncertainty in his tone. "I wonder why he left..."

_He? _Vegatama wondered and then understood: Pan hadn't known that he was playing with a girl. He told the kit that it was time to go home and gathered him up when he'd finished packing up.

That kit had been Zazaka, he knew, younger sister to _Kathora*_, a neko male of 19 years. The pair had been picked up by the village during their exodus to the village's current location. They'd been wandering alone for over a year after losing their rogue family to an attack by another village that had seen them as a threat. Kathora was a good, strong, quiet male and with his ability to read and write, he was quickly becoming the scribe of the village to replace the one they'd lost. Zazaka was a special kind of kit.

Zaza acted alot like how Atridrutam had when shed been younger. Zaza like to disappear into the trees, much to her brother's annoyance, but easily came back when called. She also didn't play with the other kits much, but when she did it was usually play fighting with the boys; she was getting quite strong from it. Yes, she was very much like his Atridrutam, however she was missing the "extra part" that would explain her boyish tendencies. Without it she was merely anomalous.

He let out a weary exhale as he entered his home and set hi grandson down. He'd have to tell Kathora about this later.

b~~~d

_**Fifth day**_

Pantera had already long gone to his little area when Zusma wandered over to the hut. He was greeted by his parents as he walked in and sat down to hear what he'd been called over to hear about.

"Nothing big," his father said. "I have to go out to the farmlands again today, so I want you to check on Pan every so often."

Zusma made a face. "Are you sure that's wise? He still hates me."

"Then maybe you should talk to him while you're at? See if you can rekindle the tentative trust he had for you when you first met him."

The neko scoffed and threw up his hands. "He doesn't want to forgive me! It's hardly possible to start fresh with someone unwilling to forgive you for something they deem unforgivable!"

Vegatama shrugged. "Won't know until you try." He jabbed a finger at him. "And watch your tone."

Zusma flattened his ears and lowered his head in apology.

Before he could leave, his mother insisted on feeding him -which he gladly accepted- and he ate a filling brunch of berries and meat. A light breeze was blowing through when he exited bringing refreshing and comforting smells from the village and the forest surrounding it. He breathed in deeply before heading to where he'd been told his nephew was playing.

Something white suddenly flew into view as he neared the area. Startled, he reached out and caught it. "What is this?" he murmured as he stared at it.

"My _airplane_!"

He looked and saw Pantera rushing up to him, and kneeled to his level. "Is this what you want?" he quested as he held the flimsy object out for the kit.

Pan had slowed down when he realized who Zusma was and hesitantly walked up to him. He tentatively took the thing he'd called an "_airplane_" and murmured a soft thank you.

Zusma gently grabbed Pantera as he tried to beat a hasty retreat. "Wait, wait, wait. Let me talk to you."

Pantera turned around but kept his eyes on the ground.

The elder stroked the kit's flattened ears. "Please will you forgive your _matula_ for making your _matr_ cry? I honestly didn't mean to..."

"Then why did you yell at her? Or tell her that she couldn't be a boy ever?"

Zusma sighed. "I was frustrated with her."

"Him..."

"Er... h-him." It felt awful to refer to his sister as "him", but he'd bear with it would make his only nephew -as Lajjalu had had only a girl with an extra part survive from her litter- forgive him. "My _anuja_ was going against everything we'd been taught by running away, pretending to be mal, and worst of all, sh... 'he' claims a human as his mate when they are enemies to nekos."

"Gimm-_pitr_ isn't bad..." Pan countered in a small voice.

He huffed and tsked. "Well I know that **now**, but I hadn't known that when I first met him. Look, Pan, I just want what's best for her-"

"Him."

"-him because he's my difficult _anuja _and I love him dearly." That statement left a weird taste in his mouth, but he meant every word. "Please forgive me?"

Pantera finally looked up, allowing the older neko to gaze upon those weird colored orbs he'd been born with. "Can I... think about it?"

_Well at least that wasn't an outright 'no', _he thought and accepted. He let Pan go and the kit ran off to his play spot. Zusma shook his head shrugged. "It's a start," he murmured and left to help with the usual village duties.

b~~~d

Pantera rushed back to his play area where Zaza was still attempting to make his own paper airplane. "Did you find it?" he asked and then held up his latest attempt for inspection. "And does this look right?"

"Yah," Pan murmured and handed over the recovered plane in exchange for Zaza's. "Hmm, the wings are a little different but I think it'll fly."

"Yay!"

Pantera pointed towards the village. "Let's fly our _airplanes _over there."

Zaza made a face and looked towards the forest. "Why not over there?"

"Because it'll hit the trees!" Pan laughed. He bent down and grabbed Zaza's free hand. "C'mon!"

The purple-eyed kit pulled his hand away and looked down. "I... I don't want to play with the _airplanes _anymore... Can we draw more instead?"

Dark brows knitted and he flopped onto his knees next to his new friend. "Is something wrong, Zaza?" he wondered. Zaza shook his head, but Pan knew he was fibbing and gently pressed the issue. "What is it? You can tell me."

"_Na kimapi._"

"Tee hee, liar!"

"I'm not lying."

"Yah, huh!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Yah! Huh!"

Zaza growled and struck without thinking, "No, I'm NOT!" and pushed the other kit. Pan fell over with a startled squeak, and Zaza's eyes went large and tears welled up in them. "I... I'm sorry. I din meenah-"

"It's okay!" Pan said hurriedly as he righted himself. "Don't cry! It's okay! I'll stop teasing you!"

"There you are!"

Pantera nearly jumped out of his skin, and Zaza shrieked at the sound of the new, cool, and unhappy voice. They both whipped around to see an adult neko male standing not too far off and gazing sternly at them with molten silver eyes.

He was tall and as only a little more tan than Zaza, with long black locks topped with gray ears and a gray tail as well which twitched with irritation. He wore more clothing than what Pan had become accustomed to seeing around the village with soft moccasins, pants and an odd top that seemed to be just a long, rectangular shaped poncho with a faded baby blue sash securing it around his waist. He looked more like a visitor than an inhabitant of the village.

The man glared at Zaza and the kit behind Pantera. "You know him?" Pan asked, not minding at all that his friend was essentially using him as a convenient hiding spot or shield.

"My _jyestha_... Kathora."

Kathora strolled a little closer to the kits and glared down at them with his arms hanging loosely at his sides. "SO this is where you've been hiding, and with a boy no less. Zazaka, you are trying my patience." He reached to grab the fearful kit, but Pantera blocked him. "Out of the way."

"But why? Why are you mad at Zaza? Is it because he's not at the play area with all the other kits? _Matamaha _ said it was okay to play here!"

"He?" Hathora straightened with and enlightened look. "You reached a whole new low; faking your gender like this."

_'Faking your gender'? _Pan thought with confusion and looked to his friend. "You're a girl?"

Zaza nodded solemnly.

"Fix your clothes, Zaza," Kathora growled after having noticed her state of dress.

She flinched and unfolded the top half of her dress from where she'd tucked it within the skirt so that she could slip her limbs through the arm holes. As she was nervously running her hands down the baggy outfit to smooth out the wrinkles and folds, her brother grabbed her hand and dragged her to her feet.

"But can't we still play? We were having fun..."

"No kit, boys do not play with girls, and besides she lied to me both yesterday and today about going to the play area."

Zaza looked up at him, wide-eyed.

"Didn't think I'd find out? The chief told me all about it only moments ago."

Zaza let her head droop.

Kathora turned and walked away, dragging her along with him. "Say your goodbyes, Zaza, because I won't be letting you out of my sight for quite a long time."

Her head hung lower with shame and sadness. "Bye, Pan..."

Pantera watched them until they turned a corner and disappeared, and continued to sit there for a while, staring, for a few moments afterwards. His ears fell and he whined sadly before packing up and heading for home.

b~~~d

At a little over an hour into Zusma's circuit around the village's outer boundaries, the male decided to stop to check on Pan as he was in the area that the kit's play spot was. Changing direction, he left his defined path and headed towards the village.

**_Thud!_**

Zusma crouched as he paused and looked to the right, towards the sound. Suspicious, he crouched lower and crept over on all fours. An annoyed growl left him when he saw the source of the sound and rose back to his full height to walk over. "Pan! What are you doing all the way out here?" he demanded as he roughly grabbed the kit's shoulder.

The kit whipped around to look at Zusma with big brown eyes amd screamed. He bit Zusma's hand and darted off when he was free.

"Agh!" Zusma grunted and sucked at the small wound. _That wasn't Pan... but he looked just like him!_

A snarl ripped through the air and before Zusma could react, he'd been taken down by a large body, and slammed to the ground. Winded, Zusma gasped as he fought with the brown-haired neko holding him down, but the hand around his throat made it hard. the assailant sneered. "You? Hmph, so you've finally come to steal your kits away? Not the smartest of moves, but then again I never picked you for your knowledge." He leaned closer, but froze as he inhaled Zusma's scent before pushing off of him and rising to his feet. "You're not her... but how?"

Hand massaging his throat, Zusma struggled to his feet. They glared at each other and began circling one another. "And who did you mistake me for exactly, rogue?" he rasped. "And while you're at it, give me one good reason why I shouldn't drag your tail back tho the chief for coming so close to the village."

The other grunted haughtily. "I'm only this close because my kit wandered this way, that kit who looks almost exactly like you. But your scent... you're not her at all."

Zusma stopped, prompting the other to stop as well. Green eyes were wide as he spoke. "You're my _anuja_'s alpha!"

"_Anuja? _Ah, yes, that makes sense," he murmured and nodded. "Have any idea where she is? I'd like her back."

"Yes, her and her kit as well."

"Hmm? So the runt survived, huh? Well, she births strong kits, I'll give her that. And you'll be giving her back? I am her rightful alpha, after all."

"If I can. What's your name?"

The brown neko smirked. "_Pezala*_."

b~~~d

After the incident with Zazaka and her brother, Pantera went home. He wasn't alone in the little home long before his grandmother arrived not too long after him. Upon seeing him, she asked why he was back so early, and he quickly told her of the day's events. She empathized with him, but in the end there was nothing they could do about it. She comforted him for a while before he pulled away to play by himself while she tended to her usual duties.

His grandmother's quiet humming broke up the silence until a commotion outside shattered it completely, grabbing their attention. "What's going on out there?" she wondered and Pan just shrugged; both made no moves to rise and figure it out either.

Zusma entered and looked around. "Oh good, you're here _stoka bidalika_. Both of you come with me."

Both nekos stood and followed as ordered. "What's going on?" the kit asked as he scampered up to grab Sulalita's hand.

"You'll see," Zusma said cryptically.

There was a crowd ahead of them that they had to wade through to get to the center. The amount of nekos actually startled the kit a little as he wasn't used to being among so many at one time. He was so distracted by the buzzing crowd that he didn't notice when they'd stopped in the middle. He eventually realized where he was, and looked at what everyone else was looking at. His ears flattened and his eyes widened. _Kupitr? _He hid behind Sulalita.

She looked at him. "What's wrong, _dauhitra_?"

He pointed. "_Kupitr_."

She grew the same expression as him.

The male neko he had thought he'd never see again stood amongst males from the village, some of whom were acting as guards to make sure he wouldn't do anything and some merely asked him question. Pan eventually also noticed the 6 kits around him. 3 he knew instantly were his older brothers while the other three he recognized as the kits of the silver neko who wasn't present.

Brown eyes fell upon him and his grandmother and he stalked towards them. When he grew too close, Zusma stopped the older male with a hand to his chest.

"This isn't her. I told you; this is my mother."

He nodded and looked down. "But this one is mine, isn't it?"

"Yes, this is your son."

There were a few murmurs from the crowd.

"Hmph," he grunted and crossed his arms. "And here I'd thought you both would've perished after you _matr _foolishly ran away, but she protected you well enough. I underestimated her survival skills, but that won't happen again."

Pan hid his face into the cloth of Sulalita's dress. The woman picked him up and crushed his face into her bosom. "Zusma, how could you just bring this male here?"

Zusma shook his head. "What's wrong? This is Atridrutam's mate and Pantera's father."

"This male tried to feed Pan to wolves!"

Zusma visibly blanched and stared wide-eyed at her.

A wildcat's roar tore through the air and the crowd scattered to let their snarling chief through to the center. The furious look he wore and the threatening growls emanating from his throat caused the crowd around him to bare their throats or bow their heads in submission to their leader. Pan's sire had his head bowed by the time Vega had reached him. "Trespasser!" he bellowed int' the brunet neko's face.

"_Pitr, _wait! This is Atridrutam's true alpha!"

Vega turned on him. "You brought him here, Zusma? How dare you bring a rogue into the village without permission!"

Zusma's head was bowed as he spoke. "But he's her true alpha, he has the right to take her back."

"You would want your _anuja _to be with a male would would feed his own kit to wolves?"

"Can you really fault me?"

He glared at the rogue. "Don't speak unless spoken to!"

Zusma reached out and grabbed his father's arm. "_Pitr, _please, let him defend himself."

Vega growled at him until his arm was released and grunted once as he looked back at the rogue. "Speak."

The rogue lifted his head but did not meet Vegatama's eyes. "During that time I was a male with two mates and 7 kits to provide for all on my own. The runt had been small and weak, and was barely able to move his first few days out of the womb while his brothers and the kits my other mate had had were growing just fine. I though only to ease the burden of trying to care for so many. My original plan was not to feed him to wolves; I am not an unnecessarily cruel man. Originally, I planned to just snap his neck-"

Pan flinched.

"-giving him a quick and painless end, but my mate, your _putri_, fought me to the point of frustration. I thought to teach her a lesson by doing away with the runt by feeding him to the wolves. I wanted to teach her to obey me without thought or resistance as any mate should."

"You wanted to break her."

"As was my right as a male with an unruly mate," he spoke truthfully and Vega didn't fight him on that. "I was a good alpha to her- I **am **a good alpha for her. I kept her safe, warm, and her belly full with food and I had hoped with children as well, but nonetheless she ran away."

"Any female from this village would run if you attempted to kill their kit; runt or not," Sulalita murmured.

"I am not from your village so I do not share the same principles."

Vegatama snarled at him. "If you know what's good for then you'd never speak to my wife again..."

He lowered his head. "Forgive me for overstepping."

Zusma took this as his chance to speak. "_Putri, _despite his different views, Pezala is a decent male! Much better than Grimmjow."

"Why are you so against Atridrutam being with him?" Vegatama wanted to know. "Is there something about him that I have yet to find out?"

"You know as much about him as I do."

"Then what is your grief with him? Bitter that he rightfully struck you?"

"He's human!"

Pezala growled. "You gave my mate to a human?"

"She's his mate, not yours," Sulalita retorted.

"Do not speak to him," Vega snapped. "Better yet go home." He faced the village. "All of you return to what you were doing while I discuss what will be done with this rogue and his kits with the elders. All will be revealed tomorrow after we have come to a conclusion." There was an apparent lack of movement after the order was given. "Now!"

Sulalita clutched Pan close and scuttled home as everyone else either did the same or went back to working as ordered, not ceasing her quick pace until they were safely back in their home. She settled on the floor before finally releasing her grandson to sit on the floor as well. Thumbs darted out to sweep away the tears he hadn't known were there. "Ssh, it's okay _dauhitra. _I won't let that male get to you, alright? He can't hurt you ever again."

Pantera whimpered as he willed the tears to stop. He didn't think she could promise such a thing...

x~x

**_Sixth Day_**

As promised, the morning after, there was a little meeting held in the village's center. Many attended, curious as to what would happen to the male and his kits, along with the status of his mateship with the daughter of the chief. At the centermost part of the gathering was where the topics of discussion sat, Pezala and his 6 kits as well as the chief and the other elders, and a few guards. Silence was called and it took a few moments for it to be actually attained.

Vegatama stood and addressed those who had come to the meeting. "My people. After many hours of debate with my fellow elders, a verdict has been decided concerning this rogue's case. In a 5 to 2 vote, it was decided that Pezala would be permitted to issue his challenge to the human, Grimmjow, for the right to become my _putri's _mate once more in accordance to neko an_d _Marjaran law. Along with that, Pezala and his kits, _Dinamani*, Nabhomani*, Candra*, Agriya*, Saniyas* and Trita* _will all be permitted to become part of our village to protect them from both the harsh forest around us as well as the barbaric rogue customs, so says your elders."

As Vegatama dismissed the villagers, murmurs broke out among them. Sure, it wasn't uncommon for a village to accept a rogue into their population, but it was rare that someone with Pezala's reputation would be accepted. Many of the villagers had thought that he would be banished from the village, or killed and his kits taken in by whoever cared to do so; many still thought that they should've done one of those options.

With the elders decided, however, there was nothing for them to do about the issue other than accept it.

The chief returned home to a thin-lipped troubled wife, and a grandson who refused to come from underneath the blankets in the bedroom. A sense of foreboding came over him, but he shook it off, gave his loved ones kisses and went out to perform his duties.

_**Final Day**_

Pantera was more than a little glad to be leaving that morning, and ate with gusto after having unintentionally fasted in fear the day prior, but now he needed the energy to run home. When he shoved the last of his breakfast into his mouth, the adults were still eating so he left to make sure all of his things were in his backpack and ready to go. When he finished, he sat quietly as he waited for the adults to prepare as well. Only his grandfather was supposed to take him home, and his grandmother prepared a few snacks for the trip, so it didn't take too long before they headed outside.

Pan stopped in his tracks as he exited; his sire was out there waiting.

"I'd like to accompany you to my mate's nest," was what he requested.

The kit spoke without thinking. "No."

The male glared at him. "I wasn't talking to **you, **boy. It isn't your place to decide such a thing anyway."

"You can't come," Pan retorted anyway.

Pezala ignore him. "I would like to personally declare my challenge to the human, and see the condition of my mate."

Vega sighed. "I can't deny such a request."

He bobbed his head. "_Dhanyavada, Sri _Vegatama."

"No!" Pan shouted, tears bursting from his eyes. "You can't come! You CAN'T!" Maybe something good would happen if he screamed and cried enough. Maybe his grandfather would change his mind and not let his sire come. Maybe his sire would get annoyed by his crying and decide not to come. He flinched away and screamed an sorrowful, "No!" when his grandfather tried to grab him.

"Pan, you cannot sway this decision with your tears," Vega murmured regretfully. "Your _pitr _has every right to come with us."

"He's not my _pitr! _Gimm-_pitr_ is my _pitr_!" Pantera pointed at Pezala. "I don't want him and _matr _doesn't want him!"

"This isn't about what you and your _matr _wants; you have no say in this," Vega said with a slight growl to his tone. "Stop arguing."

"NO!" the kit howled. "HE CAN'T COME!"

By then there were nekos watching; peeking out of their homes to see what all the yelling was about.

Vegatama huffed and snatched Pantera up by his scruff, ending his loud wails, and as he was pulled off the ground, his backpack slipped from his limp shoulders and fell to the ground. Pan's face was shoved into his grandfather's shoulder with his grip still held with a firm grip. Pan could only whimper pitifully, unable to move or continue wailing. He heard Pezala pick up his bag behind him before they set off for home.

x~x

His simpering led to a brief slumber that made the trip seem to go that much faster. His scruff had been released sometime while he slept but his face was still buried like before. Pan lifted his head and looked around.

The early morning grayness was gone allowing more sun overhead which filtered warmly through the trees. A little grunt left him when his grandfather leaped over a brook and landed with a soft thud. Scents started to seem familiar. Trees and dirt with a little hint of stink and an unnatural scent on top of that: home. The familiarity and need to go home made the kit sit up and look in the direction that they were heading where he noticed the familiar scattering of trees and bushes that he'd come to know after the walks he and his mother shared.

A gasp slipped past his lips and he jumped out of his grandfather's arms. The male shouted and called for him, but Pantera was already running, following the slight path and the odd scent home.

He was so happy to be home...

* * *

_Holy balls, I finished. It's a miracle!_

Thanks so much for all the love! I'm very sorry it took so long for this to be written and I hope that it won't be to long between this chapter and the next!

_**Dictionary**_

_Agriya: _Oldest

_Candra: _Moonstone

_Dinamani: _Sun Jewel

_Kathora: _Strict

_Nabhomani: _Sky Jewel

_Pezala: _Crafty

_Saniyas: _Older

_Tilvila: _Fertile

_Trita: _Third

_Zaza/Zazaka_: Rabbit/Bunny

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	13. XII: Aftermath

Just a friendly reminder that Ulqui changed his name to Nrhan after running away from home :)

* * *

The kit wasn't sure how, but somehow he'd managed to clamber his diminutive form over the tall fence and made it to the glass door where he knocked with urgency. The door whipped open and he was quickly engulfed in the warm embrace of his real father; Grimmjow. He hadn't been listening as the human spoke to him, to busy trying to crawl into the human himself; it was probably the safest place in the world right then. His ears flattened when he heard his mother gasp and cry out.

_I'm sorry, matr, _he thought in anguish. _I'm sorry. I didn't want him to come. I'm sorry._

b~~~d

Grimmjow looked at the two neko males in front of him with confusion, or rather just the one he'd never seen prior to this moment.

His eyes were brown and condescending as he looked at Grimm and his family, with brown fur and brown hair framing a handsome face. His skin was tanned from being outdoors as he noticed most, if not all, neko males were, and was rather muscularly built, though not intimidatingly so.

However, despite his less than intimidating looks, upon seeing him his mate was left gawking fearfully at him, and his son was cowering away from the neko. An awful idea came to him, and he stood slowly, still clutching his son close, and half-turned towards Ulquiorra. "This is him, isn't it?" he murmured questingly.

Ulqui hesitated to look away from the male as if fearing he would strike once Ulqui wasn't looking. He nodded slowly. "Yes..."

Grimmjow scowled before handing- though it was more akin to peeling- Pan off to his mother and pushed them inside the house before calling out, "Ayasa, Himsa, you're father is here to pick you up."

The kits cheered and thundered out of the house and over to their father, whom they clambered up to reach his shoulders. Ayasa reached his shoulders first, so he settled there while Himsa settled on Vegatama's hip. He and the new male, Ulqui's former mate as had been confirmed, exchanged words for a moment before Vega set his sons on the ground and sat in the grass. The new male looked back at Grimmjow, and approached with a smirk on his lips.

Grimm crossed his arms and glared. _"Why are you here?"_

Now he was standing in front of the stairs, literally two steps from the human. _"I came to see the matr of my kits. Would you mind calling her back outside?"_

_"You're not welcome here. Leave and never come near my nest again."_

The neko quirked an eyebrow at him. _"You don't even want to discuss this problem? I mean you have my sayuj."  
_

_"There is no problem, and he isn't your sayuj; leave."_

Crossing his arms in a refusal to move, he spoke with finality. _"Then I guess I must present my challenge then."_

_"Challenge?"_

_"Yes. It's neko law that if two males want the same female, then they must fight. I challenge you for the right to have her as a sayuj."_

Grimmjow stared with a dumbfounded look before a hearty chortle burst forth making the brunet neko grow a confused look of his own. _"Stupid cat! I don't have to fight you. I'm not a neko so I'm not forced to obey neko rules."_

The brunet stared at him before a scowl came over him and he looked to Vegatama. _"Chief."_

The older male gave him a knowing smile, all the while fending off the twin terrors who wanted to wrestle and fight with him. _"He is right, Pezala."_

_"But he has your daughter."_

Vega shook his head. _"I can't make him do anything he doesn't want to do. He isn't a neko from my village, and as you can very well see, we are in human territory; I have no power here." _He shrugged and tossed his head to dislodge Ayasa's grip on his ear. _"Besides, I've already said that I approve of him being my daughter's alpha and sayuj... though tentatively so."_

_"But why?" _the neko, Pezala, asked with genuine interest and confusion.

_"She's happy and safe enough in his care. Best of all, I don't have to worry about her running off and disappearing for 7 years again."_

_"Oh believe me, I wouldn't give her the chance to run away again."_

Vega groaned as he pushed himself to his feet. _"The fact still stands that Grimmjow doesn't have to fight, and I can't, and won't, make him." _He put Himsa on his back and held Ayasa on his hip. _"I suggest we go now. I have to get these kits back home to their matr."_

Pezala humphed and looked back at Grimmjow with contempt in his eyes. _"This isn't over."_

The bluenet shook his head. _"No, this is over. Now get out of my territory."_He looked past Pezala at his father-in-law. _"Give Sulalita a hug for me."_

_"We will!" _the twins chorused as Vega headed for the fence.

Grimmjow watched all of the nekos until they'd finally cleared the fence before heading inside to find his family. He shut the door and blinds both and picked up Pantera's backpack from where it had been tossed on the floor.

Looking around, he didn't see the nekos, but that was to be expected. They were cats, after all, and cats generally hid when afraid or threatened and in small spaces. He set the light bag on the table and headed towards the back. It didn't take long for him to find them hiding in the closet of the extra room. Pan was tucked under Ulqui's chin, still sniffling while Ulqui held him close with his eyes closed so as to hold back tears he didn't want to shed. Grimm stepped into the closet behind them and settled on the floor. He laid down, settling his weight on them ever so slightly to give them some comfort.

Big green eyes looked upon him and scrunched closed again as tears tried to form.

He shushed his mate and gently stroked his ears and then Pan's. "It's okay, now. I got him to leave."

Ulqui's voice was almost inaudible. "But he could come back."

"And I'll just make him leave again. He's not going to get his hands on you, not while I'm here."

Ulqui shook his head. "Don't promise things like that." He snuffled. "But thank you."

Grimm kissed his forehead.

The laid like that for quite a while before Grimmjow stretched out with a groan. "Alright!" he suddenly barked, startling the nekos he still comforted and garnering their shocked attention. "We can't spend all day in a closet; our Pan's finally home. Up with you both. Up, up."

It took a moment for the nekos to get moving, but they soon removed themselves from the closet and Grimmjow urged them out of the room. "You go get Pan something to eat while I run us a bath." He looked down at his son. "A bubble bath."

For the first time, Pan smiled. Ulqui grabbed his little hand and led him to the kitchen while Grimmjow retreated to get some clothes for them to change into before heading to the bathroom. He ran the bath a tad hotter than usual and added enough bubble bath soap to give a large cap of foam to the steaming water. Whe he went to find his nekos, he found them at the dinning table, Pantera munching on apple sliced with peanut butter with Ulquiorra nuzzling his head and purring softly as he murmured to his kit.

"Were you a good boy?"

"Yes, _matr_."

"Did you have fun?"

"A little."

"Did you make any friends?"

Pantera pouted before filling his mouth. "Yeah, but I wasn't allowed to play with Zazaka because she's a girl! And her _jyestha _was so mean about it! _Matr, _why won't the adults let the girls play with the boys?"

Ulqui shrugged. "You know, I don't really know myself. It was always like that, and since I was born into the rules I didn't really question them... though I did break them from time to time."

Pan giggled.

By the time the kit finished his snack, the bath had cooled to the normal temperature and they disrobed, accidentally bumping into each other in the small space before stepping into the bath, Grimm first, Ulqui next, and Pan last.

As expected, the neko tyke loved the bubbles, he especially loved throwing them into the air and watching them fall. The parents just sat back and watched with grins on their gobs. There was the kit they'd missed for 7 long days. Soon, the incident that'd happened an hour prior was far from the human's thoughts...

...However, they were at the forefront of Ulqui's.

He snuggled close as memories and thoughts of Pezala plagued him. Why him? Why now? He just wanted to live peacefully with his mate and kit, but that was an impossibility now.

Grimm nudged him, disrupting the thoughts for now and he reached past Ulqui and dragged Pantera closer so that they could wash him. Their kit was happy, and didn't squirm too much as his face was licked and his hair and ears were washed. The adults washed themselves when they were done, and then just watched some more until the bubbles dissolved in the water. Once dried of and dressed, they all went to the front of the house where Ulqui and Grimm sat down on the couch while Pantera retrieved his backpack. The spent the next half hour listening to Pan's stories of his trip and looking at the pictures he'd drawn while gone; Ulqui really liked the one depicting him sitting in a tree while knitting. Half-way through the story, Pantera gasped and started yelling about Putrika and Kumbara and how he missed them and wanted them faster than now. The human just chuckled before telling the tot to calm down and leaving to get the dolls.

Knocking at the front door made Ulquiorra stiffen and Pantera fell into silence. They both sat there staring before the second set of knocks prompted Ulqui to go answer the door.

A smiling male was the first thing Ulqui saw when he opened the door. The male was human, instantly setting Ulqui on alert, and taller than him. He had short blond hair covered by a striped bucket hat. He wore a green blazer atop a white dress shirt and cream vest, and brown slacks. One would expect some sort of loafers or other type of dress shoes, but no, this man wore sandals.

"Hello!" he chirped. "We're representatives from NRAPA."

_We? _Ulqui looked past him and saw the others, three nekos; a woman, ad two children around the age of 9 or 10.

The woman was tall and curvaceous, her skin dark and her hair was a deep purple and her fur was black, though her tail had a white tip. Her eyes were yellow and a little feral. She wore a rather revealing clothing considering the weather and time of year, short shorts and a tube top with a long, stylish cardigan thrown over it and sandals as well.

The first child was a girl with a perpetually serene look on her face. Her skin was light and her hair and fur black and her eyes were purple. She wore a nice dress with leggings and canvas sneakers.

The second, a boy, looked grumpy, though seemed to be a good kit all the same. His hair was red and fur black. He was dressed a little warmer than the others in a jacket, jeans, and sneakers.

The male in front of Ulqui stuck out his hand. "You must be Ulquiorra, the eldest neko under Mr. Jaegerjaques care, right?"

Ulqui stared at his hand before nodding dumbly.

The male dropped his hand; he didn't seem disappointed or shocked at all by Ulqui's dismissal of his hand. "Ah, well, I'm Urahara Kisuke, and the lovely nekos behind me are Yoruichi, Ururu, and Jinta; nekos under my care. Is it alright if we come in?"

It was at that point that Grimmjow returned with Pantera's dolls cradled in his arm. He set them down for Pantera to play with and went to the door to see who it was. Urahara reintroduced himself and the nekos and after shaking his hand, Grimmjow invited him in. Urahara and Yoruichi settled on the couch while the kits went to meet and play with Pan.

The good host that he was, Grimmjow asked if they wanted something to drink, and served the accordingly before he took a seat as well. Ulqui moved to perch on on his human's lap while they talked, Urahara asking questions about him and his home with Pantera even piping in every so often to update on things that were different to what his mother had said. However, then the hard question came.

"Would it be possible to visit? Maybe meet the chief with one of you as our translator?" Urahara asked.

Grimm's lips thined. "I'm not sure. Not only is the chief very against human aid, but there's also the matter of a certain neko my mate is avoiding..."

Urahara was quiet for quite sometime before he sat back with an enlightened sound. "Ulquiorra's first mate?" he guessed after a sip of his coffee.

Ulqui flinched and Grimm nodded. "How'd you know?"

"We've had quite a few cases like this; a female with a possessive and abusive mate. It's a shame, really." He set down his cup and sat back with an ankle on his knee. "This makes it a little more difficult, but not impossible. We'l just have to see what we can do for them from afar. Though, it'd be great help if you could give us any information you think we'll need to formulate plans and such so that we can protect them."

It was Pantera who spilled the most recent knowledge though Ulquiorra cleaned things up where he could, which was not often. They finished discussions sometime after noon and they were invited to stay for lunch to which they thankfully agreed. The kits went to play in the backyard while the adults talked and cooked.

They said their goodbyes after the meal and Grimmjow and his nekos went about their day.

b~~~d

The trip back to the village was a quiet one with Pezala silently seething with annoyance. He hadn't anticipated the human finding such a viable and clever loophole, and brushing off his challenge with ease. Now, he was still without a mate to impregnate and aid in rearing his kits. He shook his head thoughtfully. If only his first mate, _Rajana_, had not died of fever this previous winter leaving him alone and bitter. At least all of his kits were well-behaved, though a tad adventurous. He didn't think he'd be able to handle kits as bratty as the runt Nrhan had taken with her. Then again, maybe he'd be less bratty had Pezala raised him. Pezala pondered that thought for scant seconds before dropping it; it'd help nothing to contemplate things he could not change.

When they reached the village, the chief bade him farewell and wandered off to take his kits home and Pezala strolled off towards is own place of rest. All of his kits were there to greet him with the exception of Candra who had probably left to scope out the new surroundings like the protective older brother he was; he'd be back soon enough. The kits birthed by himself and Nrhan ran up to him like the excitable boys they were and he looked them over as the gathered around him.

Agriya was the oldest of the trio. His hair and fur were brown like Pezala's and he sported the green eyes of his mother and had protruding fangs that he occasionally bit into his tongue with which dismayed Pezala, especially when the kit had first run up to him in a panic with blood dribbling from his mouth. He was the regular height a kit his age which left him a little less than a head taller than Pantera, all of them were actually, but he was more muscular than his younger brothers. A hide skirt hugged his hips and he wore a long strip of leather tied loosely around his neck.

Saniyas was to Agriya's left, a lip stuck out in a grumpy pout and his arms crossed; the usual for him. Compared to his brothers, he didn't have a lot of hair, with what he had reaching just below his eyes while the others' went a little past their chins. His hair was black, his fur brown and his eyes green as well.

Trita was the more cowardly of the three shown by his slumped posture and when meeting new people, he tended to hide slightly behind Agriya or Pezala. His hair and fur were brown, and as for his eyes, one was brown while the other one was blind, shut tight and sealed by way of a scar. He'd lost it in an encounter with a wild dog; the trauma was what probably gave him his meek and cowardly disposition.

_"Did you see her?" _Trita asked excitedly as he clambered into Pezala's lap as the papa-cat sat down. _"Did you see matr?"_

_"Yes," _he said simply.

_"Why didn't you bring her home, pitr?" _Saniyas asked with his little arms crossed and his face morphed into a cute scowl. _"Did she run away again?"_

Pezala growled in remembrance and crossed his own arms making the kits freeze momentarily. _"The human who has her is clever and was able to refuse my challenge easily."_

The statement made the kits mewl in disappointment, and in longing of the mother they barely knew. Pezala pet their heads soothingly.

_"Do you think matr would want to see us?"_ Saniyas asked hopefully.

Pezala grunted. _"I doubt there's any matr that wouldn't want to see their own kits, even a matr like yours. The only thing holding her back from seeing you is her dislike for me."_

Dinamani, the eldest of his identical twin girls, timidly approached, her steps small, her brown and silver-spotted ears flat against her silver hair and her posture slightly slouched. Nabhomani was right beside her, meek as well, though she was silent on top of that. She rarely spoke and when she did it was usually out of distress, intense happiness, or because Pezala forced her to speak.

_"If she came back... do you think she'd want to be our matr too?"_ Dinamani wondered.

_"I'd make her be your matr."_

The statement gave them small smiles.

He grunted as his sons suddenly pounced on him.

_"Tell us about matr again, pitr,_" Trita demanded. _"And how she looked, and how you found her and... and..."_

Pezala pet him roughly to end his babbling. _"Very well, but let me get comfortable."_ That prompted them to vacate his lap and he stretched his legs out and looked about his home as the kits settled around him. It was a small, single-room home, just something temporary until a better house could be built. The floor was packed dirt like all houses and covered in places with furs the village also provided. The fireplace was in the back corner with soft furs in front as that was where they slept. Their meager items -a bag with a change of clothes for each of them, their fur boots for winter, and other odds and ends-rested in a neat pile in the other corner opposite of the fireplace. He finished his look over if the hut and returned his gaze to his kits.

_"I remember the day I found her fondly. Nrhan was, is, a small, quiet thing with long black hair and wonderfully green eyes. Her skin is pale with nothing marking it. Your mother, though she lacked physical strength, was willful and stubborn though a tad passive in my experience with her. Anyway, I found her on a cold Fall day as she mistakenly passed by my territory, wrapped in a faded, threadbare kimono that probably at one time had been quite beautiful, with nothing on her feet. I left Rajana* in the den to follow her, quietly stalking her for quite a while as I watched her. _

_"When I believed that I had gone too far from the den, I decided to capture her. She froze as I'd expected her to when I broke a branch, and I played with her after that, putting her on edge as I circled her while trying to stay hidden in the trees. Your mother looked elegantly feral as she crouched down and followed the sounds of my movements. When I stopped, she stilled again for a moment before trying to take off, but I was ready. I pounced on her before she could take two steps. She yowled and tried to fight me off, but I suppose it'd been a while since she'd had a proper meal. I could feel her bones through her skin as I held her down, and she was so very cold. Not even after I'd mated her did she stop fighting me. As soon as I'd released her scruff, she tried to run again, but I convinced her that she couldn't risk possibly giving birth with no aid and she stopped fighting me, and let me take her home to the den."_

_"Uh... um..."_ Dinamani tried to speak.

_"What is it, putri?"_

_"Was matr mad that you brought home another mate?"_

_"Ah, no. Despite having another to take care of, I did not care for Rajana any less than I did before. How could I when her belly was heavy with you two and your jami?"_ He flicked both of their noses making them g_iggle cutely. "I cared for them both equally, and was overjoyed when the matings took, and Nrhan soon became swollen with all of you as well,"_ he said looking at his triplets. _"All of you... and that runt."_

Saniyas frowned. _"It was him that made matr leave."_

Pezala nodded. _"She wouldn't let me put the weak thing out of its misery, and my frustrations with her and the runt made her run away. I still don't understand it."_

_"And the runt's still around, right?" _Agriya wanted to know.

_"Yes, she protected him well, though I question the way she raised him; he's a brat."_

_"When you bring matr home, will you bring him too?" _Agriya asked.

_"Hmph, maybe. Then again, maybe I'll leave him with that human."_

_"Is the human who has her strong?" _Trita asked.

_"I don't know, I haven't been able to find out, but I doubt it; no human is stronger than a neko."_

_"What does he look like?"_

Pezala crossed his arms as he thought of his encounter with the human only a few hours ago. _"I will not lie, for a human, he is quite attractive with a strong sense to him. He is tall and muscular and his skin lighter than mine, but then again humans stay indoors most of the time. And his hair..."_

_"What about it?" _Saniyas asked impatiently.

_"Its blue."_

_"Blue!?" _all of his kits -except Nabhomani of course- squeaked with disbelief.

_"Yes, it was an odd sight. His eyes were the same color as well."_

_"Whoa, that's weird!" _Trita murmured with his face scrunched up as he tried to imagine the human.

_"It sounds pretty," _Dinamani whispered and her twin nodded.

While the others babbled on about the human's hair, Agriya rested his head on his father's leg. _"Pitr, can we go visit matr if the human keeps her away for too long? I really want to see her."_

_"Hmph... I'll think about it."_

* * *

After the representative of NRAPA left with his nekos, Ulquiorra was quiet and distant and it was a no-brainer as to why. Grimm tried to comfort him, but after his advances and consoling words went ignored or brushed off for the umpteenth time, he decided to instead give the neko some space; Ulqui would come to him when he finally wanted to talk.

His son, however, was just the same, too happy to be home to think about the reappearance of his sire. Pantera delightedly played with Grimmjow, who ran after him as he darted around the house, squealing with glee. When Grimm began to tire, he captured the kit and rolled on the floor with him before falling still, and panting from exertion. While they laid there, he looked over at the love-seat where Ulquiorra was still sitting. The neko's ears were drooped and his gaze downcast, his needles rested motionlessly in his hands and his yarn-work laid untouched in his lap. It made Grimm frown to see him like that.

He grunted loudly as he got to his feet and carried Pan over to the couch. Leaning over the back of the soft cream-colored piece of furniture, he plopped Pan down and turned the tv on to the few shows he'd recorded for him while he was gone. He turned the volume up a tad higher than what was necessary for his sensitive, felinian ears before going over to his mate. Ulqui yowled in surprise when Grimm suddenly grabbed him, but didn't fight as the human dragged him to the bedroom, and shut the door firmly behind them.

Grimm settled on the bed with Ulqui curled up in his lap. They sat like that, silently, for quite some time before Ulqui began nuzzling him, though he didn't appear to realize that he was doing it. Grimmjow hummed as Ulqui rubbed the top of his dark head and his ears under the human's jaw and then his pale cheek along Grimm's thick neck. Purrs soon erupted from his throat.

"Ulqui," Grimm murmured before long.

The brunet froze and then moved his head away from where it had been rubbing.

"Ulqui... look at me." He didn't speak again until he had view of those pretty emerald pools. "You need to talk to me instead of sitting sullenly in the dark."

Ulqui looked away but Grimm grabbed his chin and made him look back up.

"If Pantera notices how you're acting, you'll make him sad too; he already thinks that it's his fault that Pezala came here."

Ulqui's eyes widened. "But it's not. He had no control over that."

"Well he thinks it's his fault, and seeing you like this will only make him feel bad, so maybe you should talk to me and let all those worries out so that I can help you."

He looked away again, but this time Grimm let him so that the brunet could gather his thoughts. There was a long stretch of silence before Ulqui finally spoke. "I'm... scared." He looked up with tears in his eyes. "I'm scared, Grimmjow."

The tears made Grimmjow react automatically as he pulled Ulqui close without a second thought. "Ssh, Ulqui. It's okay."

"He is named 'Crafty' for a reason, _sayuj,_" he continued, "he will find a way to get me back and then he will try to seed me again. He may even finish what he started with my Ksudra."

"But this time he has both me and your father to go through to get to you unlike the first time when you had no one to fall back on for protection, and Vega won't let him have you. Your father doesn't trust Pezala; I can tell from the way he spoke to him this morning. You're safe Ulqui. You and Pan both." He caressed the neko's ears and tail when his words didn't seem to loosen his tense posture. "C'mon. What can I do to make you feel safe again?"

b~~~d

_Mate me. _Ulqui's eyes were wide as he looked up at his human. If his scent was thicker on Ulqui's flesh, then he'd definitely feel secure again. Then why couldn't he voice the desire? Something chocked him when he opened his mouth, barring him from speaking. His ears flattened as he realized what was holding him back. The reappearance of his former mate brought back his old fears of mating. Just thinking about mating made him remember the pain and terror he felt that first time. It warred with what he knew was true, that Grimmjow would be gentle and loving during their first mating and all matings after.

Grimm earned his attention by scratching his ears and rubbing circles at the base of his tail. "Ulqui? Babe?"

The neko rubbed his nose against his mate's shoulder taking in his warm, comforting scent. The human smelled of wood chips and citrus to Ulqui though he wouldn't have been surprised had he smelled of wood chips and citrus to Ulqui, though he wouldn't have been surprised had he smelt of blueberries. He managed to smirk at the thought.

After a few moments more, Ulqui reluctantly pushed away. He couldn't do this right now. Without a word, he scooted from the bed and wandered back to the living room. He let his blanket remain abandoned by the love-seat and he joined his son on the couch. He couldn't figure out one problem, but that wouldn't stop him from amending another problem he was aware of. He pulled Pan close and began nuzzling and kissing him softly. _"Tvam kamiyami," _he murmured to his kit.

Pantera mewled the words back as he moved to sit in his mother's lap and cuddled close.

Grimmjow reappeared shortly. He leaned over the back of the couch and hugged Ulqui from behind. "We ain't done talking," he growled into his ear before kissing his temple and leaving to start on their Crockpot dinner.

Ulqui nodded. _I wouldn't have expected anything less._

x~x

Reluctantly, Grimmjow went to work the next day. He'd been insistent that they come with him, but they both rejected his plea, Pan because he wanted Toshiro to come over so they could play, and Ulqui because... well... he never said, but the human could easily guess a few reasons why. The bluenet stayed home for as long as he could until the fear of being late won him over, and he hopped into his truck.

Reaching The Hunter's Palate, he entered through the back and head to the locker room where he found Nnoitorra changing his shoes and putting away his leather jacket and gloves. The tall lanky man turned at the sound of the door closing.

"Hey man! How's it going? Pan home, now?"

Grimm nodded as he changed his shoes as well and put away his jacket. "Yeah, he came home yesterday."

"Why don't you sound happy then?"

Grimmjow huffed as he looked up at his long time friend. "Ulqui's old mate made an appearance yesterday, too."

His eye widened and hi brow lifted in shock. "You mean the one that... that... Pan's father?"

"Yeah."

"Damn, they must be freaking out."

"Ulqui more than Pan actually, or at least Pantera has calmed down since yesterday; more happy to be home than scared about his sire. I'm more worried about Ulqui than anything, though. He's been quiet and distracted... scared..." He put his face in his hands. "I want him to talk to me but he won't, or maybe he can't."

"Can't?"

"There are times when he looks like he wants to say something, but then he stops, and wanders off." He stood and followed Nnoi out of the locker room and headed to the kitchen where his apron and the scarf for his hair hung. "Should I take him to see someone? I mean he's never had counseling or anything on the trauma Pezala, his old mate, caused him."

"Nah you know how he gets with strangers. You'll just have to give him time, I guess."

Flopping down in a chair to wait for the opening of the diner, he crossed his arms. "Not sure if that'll work, but that's my only option I guess."

"Yeah." Nnoi grabbed a broom and tossed it at his blue-haired friend. "Now get over here, and help me sweep the front."

b~~~d

Sometime in the afternoon, Pantera got his hands on the phone and carefully dialed Rangiku's cell phone number. Ulqui watched his son, mostly to make sure he didn't accidentally fall off the counter where he was perched with the large landline receiver to his ear.

"Hi Miss Ran!" he squealed happily when the phone was answered. He giggled for a moment as Rangiku no doubt gushed about how nice is was to hear from the kit again. "I missed yo too. Um, can I play with Shi'o today?" Another pause as he listened. "Yay! Thank you, Miss Ran, bye!" He set down the receiver in its cradle and gingerly slid off the counter-top. When his feet touched the floor, he darted off to nowhere in particular, just running around excitedly. "Yay! Shi'o's coming over! Yay! Yay!"

Ulqui smiled at his kit and watched him from his vantage point on the island. "Are you hungry?" he asked once the kit settled down.

"Um," he murmured and prodded the tip of his fang with a finger. "A little. Can I have a catnip lolli?"

Nodding after a moment's pause, he got the the requested treat and handed it over.

Very soon, the kit was under the effects of the catnip, running around wildly and batting around his bell ball and playing with the gift he'd gotten from Nnoitorra for Christmas.

He flinched as that made him remember something. The gift Nnoi gave him. Those odd revealing clothes. Weren't they supposed to be erotic or something? When Pan tuckered out, he tucked his son under a throw on his couch to nap and went to the extra room. In the closet on the top shelf was where he found the box that he had stored those clothes in, and he sat down on the floor to take them out.

They were the same as he remembered. The collar and cuffs of faux fur, the short, short skirt, the stockings and the weird shirt. Grimmjow seemed to have really liked when Ulqui wore it, after he got over the initial shock of course. If he wore these clothes, would Grimmjow know that he wanted to mate?

Swallowing thickly, he put them in the bedroom.

Pantera woke sometime later in time for Toshiro and Rangiku to arrive. Pan embraced the pale kit tightly, making him wince when he shouted, "Shi'o, I missed you!" right by the poor kit's ear.

Ulqui cleared his throat, earning their attention. "Ksudra, do you want to spend the night at Toshiro's?"

Mismatched eyes widened and he looked at Rangiku. "Can I?"

She smiled. "Sure, I'd be happy to have you over, sweetie!"

It was a wonder that the kit wasn't hoarse after the downright elated, "Yay!" he screamed before running off to pack a backpack with clothes for a single night.

"Why don't we head to the park?" Rangiku offered when kits returned with the backpack and Putrika and Kumbara; he didn't have to leave them home this time.

"Yeah, we can play on the swings!" Pan cheered.

"Sure," Ulqui murmured, "but I want to get back in time to make Grimmjow's dinner before he gets home."

"No problem, Ulqui-dear," Rangiku chirped before they filed out to her car.

x~x

The house was quiet when Grimm got home, though smelled of food. It was too bad he wasn't hungry. He just wanted to lay down and snuggle with his ne...kos...

Grimmjow froze in the doorway of his bedroom, gawking at what was in his bed: Ulqui in his Christmas lingerie peeking demurely up at him through his dark bangs.

Swallowing thickly, he managed to speak. "Ulqui?"

_"Sayuj?" _the neko purred back, the silky sound going right to the human's groin.

"Wh-What are you doing?"

Ulqui's ears flattened and a confused look replaced the sexy one he had been wearing. "It's not obvious?" He slowly tensed and eventually he was having difficulty looking into Grimm's eyes. Ulqui slipped off the bed and tried to pass by him. "I-I'm sorry. I'll-"

Grimmjow caught him and held him in his arms. "No. Tell me. What are you doing?"

Dark ears flicked back and forth before he looked up at him. "Seducing you?" he tried.

Grimm's eyebrows lifted. "Really?"

"Am I... Am I doing a bad job?" he asked innocently.

Lips suddenly crashed into the neko's and engulfed him in a passionate kiss that stole Ulqui's breath and tension away. They were panting when they parted though Ulqui mindlessly lapped and nipped at Grimm's lips wanting more. The little man gasped when he was pushed and he fell onto the bed. When had they moved away from the doorway?

"Where's Pan?" Grimmjow rumbled.

"At Toshiro's home for the night."

"Good."

Eyes wide, Ulqui watched as his human peeled his shirt off, giving him the delicious sight of his toned chest, lightly dusted with blue. He blushed when Grimmjow shot him an almost predatory grin before reaching over to switch on the bedside lamp and turned it to a dimmer setting.

"God, you look beautiful." He crawled onto the bed on top of his neko and captured his lips in another breath-taking kiss. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked when they parted for a second time.

Unable to speak, Ulqui nodded vigorously.

Grinning again, he reinitiated the kiss and let a hand roam. He trailed kisses to the neko's throat as fingers rubbed his nipples through the thin, silky fabric, teasing them into excited peaks. Ulqui sighed at the ministrations, and shivered at the rapturous sensations they gave him. When his nipples were both hard, the hand trailed down to caress his sexes.

"Mm," Grimmjow grunted. "No underwear?"

Ulqui's ears flattened at the remark. "The lacy ones are in the laundry, I'm sorry."

"Ssh, don't apologize. This is just fine." Pushing the skirt up, he moved in between those pale, sim legs and looked down. "Beautiful," he murmured again and he grasped Ulqui's barbed cock in one hand and his small set of balls in the other. The barbs kept him from rubbing the shaft so he opted to rub his thumb over the head, spreading the slit and the precum pearling there.

"Wha-What? Ah!" the neko mewled and tried to close his legs, but Grimmjow abandoned his balls to keep them from closing.

"Hold your legs open for me, baby. That's it. Let me in like you want." A finger slipped past the folds of his lady flower.

"Ah!" Tears formed as he tried not to close his legs around the assaulting hands. Another finger slipped inside along the first and he felt the human's thumb strum his clit. His walls fluttered around the invading digits, warning of his impending climax.

Ulqui shook his head. "No!"

Immediately, the hands pulled away from him. He gasped harshly and mewled at the loss though he could still feel the phantom sensations of his mate's fingers on him. He clenched his thighs and covered his face.

The feel of Grimm's hand gently resting on his stomach made him flinch almost violently. "Ssh, it's okay if you're not ready. We can try again some other time."

Ulqui felt Grimmjow move away and scrambled to grab his arm and stop him. Just sitting up caused rapturous tingles to shoot through his core and up his spine and he had to sit, catching his breath, as he rode them out. "It's not... mmf... that. I was just really close. Really close. I got startled."

"Why?"

"Whenever you use your hands, you stop once I climax. I don't want that. I want you. I want you in me," the last words were in a barely audible whisper.

With a chuckle, Grimmjow leaned forward and kissed Ulqui. "We were gonna get there."

"We were?"

"Yeah."

"But I want you now?"

"Tsk, so impatient," he chided and shoved the neko back down. "I think I'll make you wait a little longer." While Ulqui rumbled low in his chest at the words, Grimmjow caressed his body, quickly reigniting the passion he'd reached before the interruption. Big hands spread his legs again and leaned down to kiss Ulqui's lower lips before lapping at them.

Ulqui gasped. "What are-?"

Grimmjow spread them and licked again before latching onto his quivering sex.

The neko arched and yowled loudly as the human began to suck and lap at his sex. Clawed fingers gripped at soft blue locks as he thrashed his head in tail, moaning with abandon. His hips were held still underneath strong palms as his pussy was battered and tormented back to the fluttering closeness he'd had before. He screamed his mate's name as his tongue pried into him to lap at his inner walls and a finger returned to strum throaty songs from him.

Gasping and sobbing, the coil in him curled tighter and tighter still until it finally snapped. "Ah! Grimmjow! AAHHH!" his eyes rolled as he climaxed, and still Grimmjow licked at him. He scrambled back, but he was quickly caught and brought back under his mate's skillful mouth and tongue. It wasn't until he was sobbing and pleading that he was finally released from the exquisite torture.

Ulqui clenched his thighs as he sighed and moaned through the aftershocks until he was finally able to breathe normally and open his eyes. _That was... amazing, _he thought after a moment and his eyes moved to look around. His ears flattened at the white streaks of his excitement marring his outfit. _Aw, they're ruined..._

The rasp of a zipper preceded the thud of Grimmjow's jeans hitting the floor made Ulqui look up in time to get a nice view of his mate's rear end. Pan was wrong, Grimmjow wouldn't look any good with a tail; it'd just block his view. He gasped when Grimmjow turned to the side, letting him see the large erection he palmed.

"Like what you see?"

Ulqui couldn't stop the shudder that went through him. He nodded mutely.

Flashing another wonderful grin, the human grabbed something out of the bedside table drawer, opened it and rolled it on his pride giving it an odd glossy covering. Grimmjow made sure whatever it was was on completely before turning to crawl back on the bed. H e lifted one of Ulqui's legs and pressed a kiss to the underside of his knee as he continued to stroke his manhood, adding a little twist at the end.

Ulqui sat up to take a good look. It was pretty much the first time he'd seen his mate primed for sex as the human strove to remain unaroused around him; maybe now he'd see a breeding fail-safe. He swallowed thickly. Grimmjow was big... really big. He winced as he looked at the organ. Would it fit? Would it hurt? Maybe he wasn't ready for this after all...

As if the bluenet had heard the neko's troubled thoughts, he pressed another buttery kiss to Ulqui's knee. "Don't worry, Ulqui, I won't hurt you." He pressed the head of his cock to Ulqui's opening. "Lie back and relax."

Flopping back when being tugged closer threw him off balance, he whimpered, "You're bigger than I expected..."

A bright monosyllabic chuckle left the human. _"Dhanyavada." _He covered Ulqui's body with his and gripped his feminine hips before giving a little thrust.

"Ah!" he squeaked and unintentionally tensed. He reddened, thinking, _He should grab my scruff so I can't tense up._

Grimm attacked his throat with kisses and nips until Ulqui relaxed and he pushed in a little more. "S'okay, baby. Just relax. I've got you. Let me in." The head of his cock made it inside.

"Ngh!" Ulqui bit his lip and willed himself to stay limp and pliable. He gasped and whimpered as his human began thrusting, slowly pushing more and more of himself inside. Pain and discomfort turned to pleasure that made his legs quiver and turned his breaths into pant. _So smooth... so good... so- _"Ah" Grimmjow grinded against him sending frissons of ecstasy through his core and making him buck, forcing more inside. "Nya!"

Grimm stilled when he was finally fully sheathed inside. Ulqui was too busy squirming to awe at the fact that the whole thing had fit inside. He arched his neck to entice Grimm into kissing, sucking and biting his neck some more. "Want me to move?"

Ulqui nodded vigorously. "Mm hm. Yes, please. Please move. Yes," he babbled mindlessly.

Rumbling low in his chest with pleasure, Grimmjow slipped his arms under the pale form below him and began rocking his hips.

The neko moaned and mewled softly at the gentle rocking. His limbs twitched where they laid on the mattress, doing nothing as Ulqui had no clue what to do with them, until Grimmjow manipulated his legs to curl around Grimm's hips and made Ulqui place his hands on his neck and in his hair.

Ulqui gripped the blue locks tightly and caressed Grimm's neck as the rocking turned to thrusts, the human pulling half of his pride out before shoving it back in. His thrusts sped up and Ulqui's cries grew louder. His hands moved down to gab his mate's back. The muscles under his palms tensed and Grimm suddenly paused to grab Ulqui's wrists and pin them to the mattress.

"That hurt's, babe," he groaned into Ulqui's kiss-bruised neck and plunged into him again.

Realizing his claws were out and smelling the tinny smell of blood in the air, he whimpered apologetically through the waves of pleasure.

"S'okay. Mph, it's okay, baby." He thrust faster. "Oh. so good. You feel so good."

Grimm's thrusts became jerky as Ulqui grew painfully close to another orgasm. His eyes flew wide and his gasps stilted. He would've clawed at Grimm's back some more if his wrists weren't still caught in his strong grip. "Ha! Ahh!" He clenched his thighs and threw back his head as he came. He spasmed and sobbed wildly as Grimmjow continued to thrust before he fell limp.

Kissing him one more time, Grimmjow straightened and changed his grip on the neko. He pulled Ulqui into his lap and started up a bruising pace. Before Ulqui could whimper at the abuse, Grimmjow jerked to a stop, balls-deep inside and groaned long and loud as warmth filled Ulqui's inside. With a sigh, the human rested back on top of Ulqui, and pressed kisses to his lips that the neko could barely reciprocate.

Sighing, almost sadly, as Grimm's manhood softened and shrunk within him, he snuggled down to slip off into dreamland when he noticed that something was wrong; Grimm's scent wasn't as strong on him as it should have. He moaned in confusion and then disappointment when Grimmjow rolled off of Ulqui, taking his warmth with him. The human sat up and pulled the thing wrapped around his pride off and Ulqui looked closely: All of Grimm's seed was inside. A perturbed look on his face, he struggled to an upright position and went to touch it.

"Hm? Oh, this is a condom," Grimm answered the unspoken question. "So I don't get you pregnant."

"But..." Ulquil trailed off.

Grimmjow knotted one end and tossed the condom into the wastebasket by the bedside table. "What? Something wrong?"

He flushed. "That's what I needed." Grimm gave him a weird look and he continued. "I need you mating scent."

Blue eyebrows rose. "Why?"

Ulqui wanted to get frustrated, he really did, but he couldn't when human mating rituals were so much more different from neko rituals. "So that other males will stay away. So Pezala will stay away."

An enlightened "O" formed out of Grimm's mouth. "This is what I can do to make you feel safe again."

Ulqui nodded. His eyes were low as he didn't want to look at his mate, but the sentiment did not reach the bluenet as his chin was gripped and he was made to look up at Grimm.

"I'm sorry, I never realized, Ulqui," he murmured. "But on the other hand, we can't handle more kids right now. Not with Pezala reappearing, and everything."

"But... I want you scent. It'll make me feel better."

Grimmjow nodded in comprehension. "I know, babe, I'm sorry."

With a sad meow, he leaned close and began nuzzling his face into Grimm's skin again. "Is there no other way?"

Grimm was silent. "Well..."

Ulqui looked at him, hope in his normally apathetic yet warm eyes.

"There is a way to get my 'mating scent' on you without you possibly getting pregnant, but you may not like it."

Ulqui cocked his head.

"Anal sex, or having sex using your anus instead of your vagina."

Ears flattened as he cringed. "Does it hurt?"

"At first, but after that it feels good."

"Have you done it?"

Ulqui nearly smirked when his human blushed and glanced away. "I may have experimented once or twice in my younger years... with Nnoi."

Ulqui growled possessively.

"Calm down, it was a long time ago and we don't talk about it. Me and Nnoi ar just friends now; you know that."

The growling petered out. "I want to do it," he finally proclaimed after a pause.

"You sure?"

Ulqui nodded.

Blowing out a breath, Grimm scooted off the bed and startled the neko when he grabbed his ankle and dragged him to the edge of it before urging him to his stomach. Grimm caressed his rear and with a purr he lifted his tail and raised onto his knees. The large hands stopped their touches and Ulqui peered between his legs to watch Grimmjow get another thing from the side table. Thinking it was another condom he growled, but stopped when it was something else instead. It was a tube which the human popped open and squeezed a glob of gel from it onto his fingers before tossing the tube onto the mattress.

The gel was cold and the neko flinched when it touched his hole. Sshing came from his mate as a finger gently rubbed gel around his hole before prying itself inside. It didn't feel like much at first -just an odd, out-of-place pressure- but then Grimmjow pushed a second digit inside and stilled. When Ulqui relaxed around them, they began thrusting and gently scissoring. The experience was uncomfortable, but bearable.

"A!" the fingers curled and something that was touched made stars dance and burst behind the neko's eyes. "Ngh!" he groaned when it was brushed again. _"K-Kim?"_

"Just your prostate," Grimmjow explained in a husky whisper as he dug into the spot again. "Does it feel good?"

"Mph! Mm, mmhm." A third finger slipped inside and he yelped and clenched; now that had hurt!

"Ssh, ssh, sh, it's okay, just relax."

"I'm trying... hurts," he mewled as he tried not squirm. "Grab my scruff."

"What?"

"I'll relax if you grab my scruff."

"Nah, that ain't necessary. You got this."

Ulqui mewled again, but other than that remained quiet and still as he willed himself to relax. The fingers began to move after he began to relax, and Ulqui found that the more they moved the less it hurt, and the more he relaxed until he was purring at the erotic massage. Whining unhappily when they pulled out, he gasped as his mate climbed back up on the bed behind him. He watched, once again from between his legs, as Grimm stroked his length back to life and gently teased his slick hole with his thumb.

"Are you ready?" he asked as he added more slick to his engorged organ.

Ulqui swallowed thickly before weakly grunting his assent.

Grimm's thick head prodded at his entrance making him whimper, and sweet nothings and soft murmurs were whispered to him as Grimmjow pressed on. The slick helped the head get inside and Ulqui bore down as more was rocked inside. Grunts and heaved pants came form the bluenet as Ulqui accepted more and more of his length.

"God! So tight! Mmf!"

The neko wanted to ask if Grimm was okay but the words couldn't make it out before his moans. He felt as if he were going to split apart from the pressure and his legs quivered threatening to give out on him. Forcing breaths out seemed to ease what pain was left, so he did that.

Long excruciating moments of pleasure pain went by before Grimmjow was fully sheathed inside and they stilled, their pants breaking the silence hanging in the air. Grimmjow eventually leaned down to kiss Ulquiorra's neck.

"Mm, I'm not going to last long," he warned. "You're so tight; it feels so good."

Ulqui meowed in response and wiggled his rear, sending shocks of pleasure up his spine, and down to his toes and twitching tail tip.

Same as before, Grimmjow gripped his hips and proceeded to thrust.

Ulqui's toes curled as his prostate was brushed again and again as the bluenet focused his thrusts on it, tormenting the brunet from the inside.

Almost too soon, Grimm's thrusts lost rhythm, warning Ulqui of his impending climax before ha slammed inside one more time and groaned. Ulqui sighed at the warm spurts he felt inside and the bloom of mating scent that assaulted his nose and filled him with a sense of peace and security. He wasn't given a chance to really bask in it as Grimm pulled out and roughly flipped him over. Fingers slipped into his slit before thrusting and wriggling violently within him, tearing out another orgasm form him. No semen this time though, his male part was drained. He fell limp once the aftershocks ended and sighed as his body was covered by Grimm's.

"That what you wanted?" he grumbled into the neko's throat, his voice heavy as sleep threatened to take over.

Ulqui purred.

"I'll take that as a yes."

b~~~d

Pan was surprised to find the door locked when he came home some time after one in the afternoon, but he had a key that he kept in the very bottom of his book bag. He opened the door and turned to wave at Rangiku and Toshiro before heading inside. It was quiet in the house, putting the little neko on edge as he slipped out of his shoes and jacket and headed towards the back. The bedroom door was closed so he quietly turned the knob and nudged it open.

He smiled at what he saw.

His mother and father were curled up together, and fast asleep. Grimmjow was propped up on the pillows with his mother purring quietly in the crook of his arm. They were bare but for the sheet over their hips and the furry collar around his mother's neck; their clothes were in a messy pile on the floor.

Pantera crept forward, stepping over the discarded clothing, and sidling close to the mattress where his nose was assaulted with a strong scent that made him beam. "Gimm-_pitr_," he whispered. "Gimm-_pitr_."

The human woke easily, like he always did, with one eye opening and then the other quickly following. He grunted and reached down to tug the sheet higher over him and Pan's mother before looking back at the neko tyke. "Morning, Pan."

Pantera wanted to correct his father on what time of day it was, but he squashed the urge in favor of his question: "Did you and _matr_ mate, Gimm-_pitr_?"

His blue brows rose dramatically before coming down and he smiled with a light chuckle. "Yes, Pan, we mated."

Pan giggled giddily and tried to climb up on the bed, but he was stopped.

"Uh, not right now; it's kinda messy up here."

"Oh, okay."

"Why don't you go hang out while I get your mom and me cleaned up."

"Okay!" Pan bounced away and shut the door on the way out. The grin he wore was beginning to hurt his cheeks, but he didn't care. All that mattered was that his mother had smelled happy...

...and he would probably have little siblings soon!

* * *

Yayyy! It's done! The chapter you all had been waiting for! Ulqui and Grimm have finally consummated! Yaay! Sadly, poor Pan won't be getting any siblings anytime soon...

XD Wow, I went back to the first chapter and I read that Silver (or Rajana) had had a boy and **TWIN **girls... so... yeah... oops.. *dies*

**_Dictionary:_**

_Nabhomani: _Sky Jewel (Silver's other daughter)

_Rajana: _Silver (The name of Pezala's first mate, and the mother of Dinamani, Nabhomani and Candra *Note* Yeah, you guys were right, it's Gin)

**Shout Outs and Thank Yous to:**

_**~ElenaEona** (_Fave)**  
_~ItachiSadEyes_** (Follow)**_  
~xXxWhitneyxXx_** (Follow/Fave)

* * *

**_Omake: Flashback: Tale of the Blue Lacies_**

_It was becoming harder and harder to ignore all of the glances as they walked through the mall, but even then Nnoitorra refused to remove his hand from Grimm's ass. Grimm could only sigh and endure it. He'd brought this on himself when he suggested that they experiment. He should've known that Nnoi wouldn't stop with a casual roll in bed, and now he was stuck with the lanky bastard treating Grimmjow like his girlfriend. He'd admit that Nnoi had been good in bed, but that didn't mean that the bluenet wanted to be anything more than friends.  
_

_His eyes wandered as they passed by the shops until they eventually paused in front of a lingerie shop._

_"Hm," Nnoi murmured, taking his hand from Grimm's rear so that he could cross his arms in thought as he ogled the mannequins._

_"What?"_

_"I was imagining you in one of those, but I'm not sure I like it."_

_Grimmjow guffawed and punch him in the arm. "Don't go imagining weird shit like that! Yah freak!" _

_Nnoi batted back at him. "Yeah, you're right. Yah gotta have a nice ass if you wanna wear something like that for me," he said while making lewd grabby motions in the air at the mannequin wearing thigh highs and lacy red panties to go with an under-bust corset of the same color. "A nice, big ass."_

_Grimmjow looked at the one next to the first wearing a lacy blue thong and a modest, silk camisole with a sheer robe thrown over the shoulders. "Nah, give me a nice small butt in something like that any day."_

_"Diggin' the blue lacies, huh?" Nnoi poked. "Why didn't you say so, Grimmy. I'll go in and get them for you right now."_

_"Don't even joke, dude," Grimm warned with a heated glared._

_Nnoitorra grabbed his arm and tried to lead him inside. His eyes sparkled mischievously and he winked. "Don't be shy. Just give me a lap dance when we get back to my place to pay me back."_

_Grimmjow wasn't amused and he snatched away, scowling. "Asshole," he murmured and stomped off._

_"What?" Nnoi called after him. "I was just kidding. Aw, c'mon, Grimm!"_


	14. XII: The Week Between and Events After

The first part is more filler that has scenes that didn't fit in the real chapter that I am working on, or just worked as set up for events in the next chapter so it may be a little sporadic, ha-ha

The second half, however, I actually wrote in a notebook last year back in boot camp, so I'm so glad I was able to find it!

Enjoy

* * *

A soft purr slipped from his throat as he approached wakefulness. With a groan and a mewl, Ulqui stretched out, flinching at the pleasant yet foreign ache in his rear. Another purr came from him as he remembered how that pain came to be. His lips stretched into a genuine and pleased smile and his green eyes cracked open to find his mate's side of the bed empty, but he reached over to touch it and found it to be still a little warm, and perking his ears, he heard voices in the front of the house.

He huffed in disappointment. He wanted to cuddle with Grimmjow and perhaps entice him into sharing more of his wonderful scent and re-experiencing the process of getting that scent, but that was not to be. Especially when his kit was back from his sleep-over.

Nonetheless, he growled softly and began the awful process of rising from the warm and inviting bed.

Wincing as he managed to get upright, he steadied himself on his feet and stretched one more time. "Hm?" Ulqui looked down when his foot nudged something on the floor and scowled at clothes strewn about on it. Stooping down, he began to tidy up.

"Hey, you."

Ulqui gasped as his hips were grabbed and he was pulled backwards into the arms of his blue haired mate. He purred as a sharp nose nuzzled into his neck and large hands knocked the sullied clothes from the neko's arms and began to run over his bare flesh.

"You woke up," Grimm murmured before pressing a kiss into where he was nuzzling and releasing the neko, much to Ulqui's disappointment. He let the human turn him around and accepted his kiss. "How are you feeling?"

In answer, Ulqui purred and nuzzled his human until he was laughing and pushing him away.

_"Suprabhavya, matr!" _came a pleasant squeal as Pantera rushed into the room and latched onto Ulqui's leg.

Ulqui moved away from Grimm, and lifted his kit into his arms, uncaring of his nudity, and the kit hugged his mother about his neck. Pan giggled. "You smell like Gimm-_pitr_! Oh, will I be a _jyestha _now?"

Grimmjow chuckled and tousled the kit's ebony hair. "Eh, maybe later, Pan."

Pantera whined but smiled nonetheless. The kit was plucked from Ulqui's arms and set back on the ground where he promptly ran off to return to his prior activity.

The bluenet grabbed Ulqui's hand and led him from the room and into the bathroom where a hot bath awaited. "Here, take a long bath while I cook up us some breakfast." He playfully swatted the neko's round bum and left the room.

Rubbing the slightly smarting spot he turned back to the bath and froze, trepidation overcoming him. Wouldn't bathing get rid of Grimm's scent? He didn't want to wash away the scent, therefore the sense of calm and security he was feeling, so soon. Shuffling his feet, he looked around aimlessly as he thought this over. Perhaps he could wash without soap and only stay in the water for a little while? No, even that would probably wash away quite a bit of scent. Or maybe he could wash without getting in the tub. No, that'd be quite messy. Ah, times like this, Ulqui wished that his mother was there to answer these hard questions.

His mother. Thoughts of the ever happy Sulalita filled his head. He remembered the days before his little brothers were born when she and his father were only just trying to conceive. Ulqui remembered his mother smelling thickly of Vegatama, and still she took baths, so surely Ulqui could without worry, right?

Nodding once, Ulqui finally got in the bath and sunk to his neck in the steaming water. Eventually, he put the soap and rag to use.

Dressed in some of Grimm's clothes, and still bearing the dominant male's scent, he wandered into the front area where his son was drawing in the living room and Grimmjow putting together their meals. The bluenet grinned when he turned to look at Ulqui and went back to him task. "Needed more of my scent on you?"

He looked down at the long-sleeved shirt he was wearing that went to about mid-thigh on him. "Yes," the ravenette answered honestly.

"And how do you feel now? Did you get what you wanted from me?"

Ulqui walked to the human and snuggled up to his back with a purr. "Everything... and more... I'm glad we mated."

"Me too."

* * *

"Where are you going with that, Pan?" Grimmjow was in the midst of making dinner when he spotted his neko son dragging up a heavy comforter from the basement.

"My room," was all the kit said before continuing on towards the back of the house.

Grimmjow put down his spoon and went out to question the neko tyke some more. "What are you going to use it for?"

"A nest!"

Grimmjow huffed realizing that he wouldn't get all the answers he wanted if he didn't stop Pan so that the kit could focus on talking rather than the heavy comforter. He walked up and stepped on the trailing edge of the blanket that had only just escaped the stairs, and Pantera pulled and pulled on his side until he realized that his father was hindering him.

"Heeey," he whined and tugged some more. "Get offa it..."

Grimmjow shot the kit a reproaching look and his dark ears perked up with a flinch and then flattened as his tail drooped.

"P-Please?" he tried after realizing his error.

Grimmjow lost the look and crossed his arms over his chest. "Not until you explain everything."

"Explain what?"

"Why you're building a nest in the extra room."

The neko beamed. "Oh! Because you and _matr _are mating now so I wanna... wanna uh... be away so that you can and then I'll be a _jyestha _quicker!" Pan said as if it made all the sense in the world. Grimm had to admit that the plan wasn't lacking in the logic side of everything sans the fact that children were not in the near future with the way he and Ulqui made love.

The bluenet smiled. "Aw, you don't have to do that, Pantera."

"But I wanna! Oh but," his ears flattened again and he looked to the older male with the kitten equivalent of puppy-dog eyes. "I wanna still sleep in bed with you from time to time; your scents are comfier now that you both are mated!"

Shaking his head, Grimmjow removed his foot from the blanket and walked closer. "Alright. Here, I'll help you."

"No, no, no!" the kit shook his head furiously. "I wanna do it!" He pointed and commanded, "Go make dinner!" before turning and darting away as fast as he could with the comforter hindering his movement.

Grimmjow returned to the kitchen just as Ulquiorra returned upstairs from the basement as well though with a basket full of clean clothes rather than comically dragging a large blanket. He told his mate about Pan's rather sweet plan and the mama-cat purred in contentment and thankfulness. A few more words were exchanged between them -Ulqui was pleased that he could continue to sleep bare with Grimmjow for one- and they were treated to the cute sight of Pan darting down the stairs and returning with yet another blanket to add to his self-made nest. He'd have to go check on the finished work later

x~x

Later that night, after dinner, the parents took a look at Pantera's work. Grimm nodded approvingly of it, and Ulqui was rather proud as well. For a blanket nest, it was rather soundly built with it being formed so that Pantera could get in and out without disturbing it too much- the kit even jumped in and out of it to prove the point.

With the check done, Ulqui tucked his son in for bed and followed Grimm to their room. He purred as he shut the door behind them and the human began to strip. Grimm looked at the neko over his shoulder and smirked.

"Enjoying the show, babe?" he teased as Ulqui pulled his gaze away and undressed as well.

Grimmjow was stooped over, picking up his clothes to be tossed in the nearby hamper as Ulqui preferred, when the neko took that as his chance to pounce. With an uncharacteristically giddy meow, Ulqui leaped and landed on Grimm's back. The human grunted and laughed before dumping the cat on the bed.

"You're awfully playful tonight," Grimm commented as he crawled onto the mattress and rested his weight on top of Ulqui.

Ulqui purred again as he thought about it for a moment before answering. "Yes... it's been so long since I've felt this way- so safe and happy. Since I was a child that only hid their emotions from others rather than having buried them." He frowned a little. "_Pitr _was the one who unfortunately ruined that for me."

Shushing him gently, Grimm leaned closer and gently pressed his lips to his neko mate's in a warm kiss.

They both looked up when there were three light knocks on the door. Grimm shift a little so that his nethers were concealed between Ulqui's parted legs and beckoned for Pan to enter. The kit peeked in sheepishly.

"I forgot Putrika and Kumbara when I made my nest," he murmured.

Grimmjow only chuckled and jerked his chin in the direction of where the dolls were set on the bedside table. He watched as the kit darted over to his porcelain dolls were, gathered them up in his arms and ran back out with a few apologies thrown over his shoulder as he shut the door.

Ulqui accepted another kiss from his human and was disappointed when he rolled off, taking his warmth with him. He let Grimm drag the covers down and then over them before snuggling close.

* * *

Grimmjow was tired when he returned home from work a little late the next day, and Pantera was already snuggled up in his nest after being tuckered out from playing with Katen, Nami and Rakurai for most of the day. The human gave a sleepy snuggle to Ulqui, and retreated to the bedroom after telling the neko that he was a tad too tired to eat. Ulqui followed him into the room and they both undressed for bed. The human released a weary sigh as he laid out on the bed on his back, and Ulqui climbed onto his lap.

He smiled apologetically at the neko, though still chuckled lightly at Ulqui's friskiness.

Ulqui sighed in sad understanding, and moved to get off.

Grimmjow gripped his hips and held him in place. "I'm too tired to reciprocate, but do you still want to play?"

Ulqui cocked his head.

Grimmjow let his hands fall to his side. "Explore."

Ulqui's ears perked at that, intrigued by the idea of exploring his mate's body the same way Grimm had always explored his. Those blue eyes slid shut and with a slight upwards twitch of his lips, he began to inspect his mate's form.

Purring deep in his chest, he ran his hands over the body he both envied and admired, scratching his claws lightly in the tuft of blue chest hair and over flat nipples. They weren't sensitive like his were, so he eventually went to stroke Grimm's neck and jaw earning a happy groan from his human when he touched just the right place. Emboldened, he leaned forward and nibbled at the area just behind Grimmjow's jaw.

"Ooh..." the bluenet groaned with both languor and ardor lacing his tone. "That feels nice..." He arched his neck into the toothy caress.

Ulqui lavished the spot with his feline tongue before trailing down to discover other sensitive areas. The earlobe. The collarbone. Feather-light touches over the ribs. The neko found all of his mate's special spots.

He turned around so that he faced Grimm's feet and the human got a faceful of his rear and tail. He felt a hand on his butt and promptly bopped Grimm in the face with his tail. "No, you're tired, remember?"

"Mmm, with a view like this, I think I'm waking up."

Ulqui tail-swatted him again when he was groped again. "No, lie still."

The human groaned and dropped his hands.

Satisfied with Grimmjow's submission, Ulquiorra returned to the task at hand. Oh, Grimm was primed for sex. Ulqui licked his lips as he leaned down and looked at it closely. He gave it a lick.

Grimmjow's entire body jerked. "Shit!" he cursed quietly.

His ears flattened and he looked over his shoulder. Had he hurt his mate?

Seeming to understand the apologetic look, the bluenet shook his head. "Didn't hurt; it felt really good."

Ulqui turned back and did it again earning another jerk and curse. He kept doing it until the head of his mate's cock seemed to darken and he gave the rest of it some attention, lapping all the way down to his furry balls and back up. He had Grimm shivering from an impending climax within moments.

"Mph, Ulqui. Oh God, I'm gonna cum."

Ulqui lapped at him again.

"Urgh!"

The neko squeaked as seed spurted into his face before he could wrap his mouth around Grimm. His human's spend didn't taste bad, just odd, and he drank every drop gladly. When it finally stopped spurting and went soft, he turned around to face Grimm once more. "Clean me up."

The bluenet smirked and took the neko's face in his hands before bringing out his tongue to lap at Ulqui's face. He chuckled as the treatment was rewarded with pleased purring. The licking evolved into kisses once all of his seed was gone from Ulquiorra's face.

Grimmjow threw Ulqui onto his back next to him and rolled over on top of the neko. He ground their crotches together as he went back to devouring his mate's mouth.

Ulqui pulled his lips away. "No, you're tired," he half-heartedly complained at the human's rutting.

"You woke me up." He kissed Ulqui again before rolling away to reach the bedside table where he pulled a condom from the drawer. He shushed the neko when he was given a little growl saying only that he wanted to avoid a mess at the moment; they could get messy when Pan wasn't home. "Now where do you want me?"

Ulqui thought about it for a second before indicating his female sex. Grimmjow smiled before moving down to bestow the same treatment on it as Ulqui had just done his. The ravenette gasped and covered his mouth as his sex was tormented expertly by his mate's skillful tongue. He jerked as teeth gently nibbled his clit and a finger slipped inside him. The neko whimpered and moaned at the treatment as the familiar feeling of a coil tightening grew in his loins and he gasped when Grimm pulled away so suddenly. He tried to clench his thighs closed, but his human kept them spread wide as he rose higher to kiss Ulqui and guide his length home.

Ulqui cried out as Grimm sheathed himself inside before the bluenet swooped down and captured his lips once more, wrapping his thick arms around Ulqui, leaving his arms trapped in the embrace. Both groaned as Grimmjow pistoned his hips, taking his mate with shallow yet eager thrusts. Ulqui could only grip the sheets and hope he didn't shred the fabric with his claws as Grimm swallowed his every moan. They became more urgent and his legs tensed and trembled as he drew close to completion.

"Ah!" The coil snapped and the ravenet bucked and arched as he came. Grimmjow rose up on all fours and pulled Ulqui's knees over his shoulders as he sped his thrusts until he reached his own climax, thrusting deeply once more and stilling with as throaty moan.

When the neko came down from the pre-coital high, there was nothing but harsh pants to be heard before Grimm flopped to the side with a grunt and pulled the filled condom off to dispose of. He turned his blue gaze over to Ulquiorra and smirked impishly.

"Would you be mad if I said that I was hungry?"

* * *

The next day, Grimmjow convinced his nekos to both go with him to work. The pair took up residence in their usual booth that was far from the door and close to the kitchen and eventually, Pantera grew adventurous and went to bother the familiar patrons of the diner who gave him little nibbles of what they were eating; Ulqui was comfortable enough to allow his son's antics. Eventually, however, Pan went back to his mother and crawled into his lap for a nap. Ulqui purred gently as he rocked his slumbering kit.

His eyes were closed as he dozed with Pan when Ulqui heard someone draw near and take a seat in the booth seat on the other side of the table. Ears flattened, Ulqui opened his eyes to see the husband of the owner of the diner. Ulqui only knew who this human was because of the pictures Grimmjow had shown the neko, and he couldn't remember the orange-haired man's name, though it was nice to see the twins he'd helped create.

The boys were being secured in child seats, the orange one fast asleep while the white one was cooing and playfully grabbing for his father's clothes, fingers, and whatever else that was catching his attention. The father made sounds back at his son and indulgently nibbled on little fingers when they found their way into his mouth. When he finished, he smiled at Ulqui and held his hand out towards him. "Hello there, Ulqui. It's nice to finally meet you." He dropped his hand after a moment. "I'm Ichigo; Orihime's husband."

"Yes, I know." The statement was blunt, but the neko didn't mean anything rude about it, it was just so hard for him to be welcoming to new people.

Ichigo didn't seem to mind, so perhaps he'd been warned of Ulquiorra's cold demeanor. No, the oranget instead continued speaking as if Ulqui were a longtime friend that he hadn't seen in quite some time. "Yeah, I was just trying to get the boys away from Hime while also checking in on the diner. I swear she's going to worry herself to death how much she agonizes over things."

Ulqui only shrugged. He'd only met the woman maybe once before, so he wasn't really sure about her tendencies.

Ichigo looked away from Ulqui suddenly and waved at something behind him. "Hey Nnoitorra, got anything to report?"

The neko looked over his shoulder at the one-eyed ravenet and received a rough hand on his ears. He cringed; the male's hand was wet.

Nnoi only laughed at the disgusted look the neko shot him before looking back at Ichigo. "Yeah, someone was saying that one of the burners at their station wasn't working and I think we're going to have to call in someone for the garbage disposal; it's making this weird noise and spits up food when you turn it on."

"Huh, it's probably clogged or something." Without thinking, Ichigo stood. "Show me – er." He stopped and looked from his sons to Ulqui. The question was very clear.

"I will watch your kits."

"Thanks, Ulqui." Taking up the conversation once more, the two men walked off back towards the kitchen.

The white babe – Shiro, yes, that was his name -watched his father leave with a sad coo, and his lip began to tremble. Ulqui stood only enough to pluck the boy from his seat and into the neko's other arm. The sudden movement made the babe's eyes widen in shock and his lip ceased quivering.

Ulqui held both boys close as he let his eyes slip closed once more and began to purr, mostly to sooth the babe in his other arm. He felt a small hand tug his hair, and peeked down at Shiro who was gumming a fistful of his locks. He giggled when he noticed Ulqui looking at him. Ulqui pressed his lips to the baby's hair, and went back to calmly sitting and purring.

Moments went by, and Pantera eventually awoke. He gasped and stared wide-eyed at Shiro. With a watchful gaze, Ulqui shifted Shiro over so that he rested against Pan. The kit happily wrapped his arms around Shiro and snuggled him close.

The other babe, Kon, woke soon enough, and began to whimper for its parent. With just a sniff, Ulqui knew exactly what the human kit wanted. Gently, he slid Pantera and Shiro from his lap and onto the seat. He briefly told Pan to watch over Shiro before he picked up Kon, grabbed the diaper bag Ichigo had left and headed for the restroom where he knew there was a baby changing station.

Kon cooed and burbled as the neko took a moment to figure out the diaper and then change him out of his stinky mess. Ulqui threw the dirty diaper into the trash and headed back to his booth. Pan was still as he'd left him, snuggling Shiro with a mixture of excitement and awe in his mismatched eyes. Ulqui left him be and sat in the other seat with Kon grabbing for his hair. He gave it a sharp yank once he got hold of it and Ulqui nipped at him in warning; that had hurt.

"Well, isn't this just the sweetest picture," Grimmjow murmured as he appeared from the kitchen with plates of food in either hand for the nekos. He set the warm plates down and leaned over to kiss Ulqui's and Pan's ears.

"_Gimm-poppy!" _in his excitement, Pantera had slipped into their native language._ "I really really want little brothers and sisters! Does momma have kits yet?" _

Grimmjow chuckled once he deciphered what the kit had said. "No, not yet."

Pantera's ears flattened. _"By whyyy?" _he whined. _"You and momma mated."_

"It doesn't work exactly like that, Pantera," Grimmjow hedged. "I'm sorry, but there are no new kits."

Pantera whimpered and buried his face in Shiro's hair. The white babe squealed and wriggled.

Grimmjow sent Ulquiorra a sad look before he headed back to the kitchen.

Pantera continued to be depressed for the remainder of their stay at the diner.

* * *

x~x x~x Time Goes By x~x x~x

* * *

The bundle of blankets shifted as Pantera awakened and slowly unfurled as he rose, supporting himself on his thin arms. He gave a big yawn, showing off his young but still sharp fangs, and stretched out his back in a decidedly felinian way.

It'd been a week, but he still slept in the extra room away from his parents. He liked it there. Sure, he missed having warm comforting bodies around him as he slept, but being able to stretch out and roll around was just as good, and it gave his parents the space they needed.

He sniffed, smelling breakfast in the air, and got up to see whoever was cooking.

"Ah, _suprabhavya, _Gimm-_pitr!" _he greeted upon seeing his blue-haired, adoptive father. He was at his usual station in the kitchen, the stove of course, whipping up pancakes. There was a plate with a few of them already resting on the counter nearby. Pan licked his lips.

Grimmjow looked over his shoulder, and greeted the kit back before turning back around. He reached into the oven and pulled out a plate of bacon that'd been staying warm in there. He transferred two pieces of the delicious, savory pork strips and three fluffy, golden-brown flapjacks onto a plate and went to set it on the island for Pan.

Before the human could walk off to pour a drink for Pan, the two-year old went over and hugged his leg, nuzzling his face into the dark fabric of Grimm's night pants. The older male smelled thickly of his mother and another scent clinging to the fabric told the kit that they had mated again last night. It made him happy that they were mating, mostly because his mother seemed so much happier and calm. His mother deserved some shred of happiness, especially with his _kupitr, _Pezala, around and vying to get him back.

It also made him happy, because he'd probably have little brothers and sisters soon if they kept mating like they were.

He smiled brighter at the image that formed in his head of baby siblings squirming around his exhausted but happy mother. "What would they look like?" was what the kit wondered the most. He really hoped that they would have blue hair like Grimm and green eyes like his mother, and either blue or black -or both- fur would be nice on top of that.

Peals of surprised laughter exploded from him as Grimmjow yanked him into a tight hug and kissed his cheek before ruffling his already mussed hair. Pan was still giggling as he was set down on a stool in front of his plate. While gnawing on a strip of bacon, a glass of apple juice and the bottle of syrup joined his plate, bringing the meal together. He dug in.

He was just about finished with his breakfast -and Grimmjow with preparing meals for him and his mother, whom had yet to join them- when there was a knock on the glass doors. Without a prior thought, Pantera slipped off of the stool and went to answer the summons. "I'll get it, I'll get it."

Darting over, Pan reached up and pushed the door open without checking first. He froze when he finally did look.

His older brothers were there.

Pantera stared for a moment before he remembered his manners. "Ah, _s-suprabhavya, jyesthas._" He looked nervously towards where Grimm was and saw the elder had stepped out of the room; probably to deliver breakfast to his mother. _"Why are you here?" _He cocked his head._ "And how did you know where we lived?"_

Agriya, the eldest brother, spoke for all. _"We wanted to see mother, so we followed the path the adults made that lead here."_

Pan nodded in understanding.

There was a long stretch of silence.

_"Well?" _Saniyas, the second born, suddenly snapped. Pan stammered in confusion before the other crossed his arms and continued. _"Move so we can come in!"_

_"Oh, oh, um… okay, but wipe your feet so momma won't get mad."_

Saniyas relaxed from his tense posture, while still keeping his arms crossed, and scrapped caked mud off of his feet with the coarse mat outside. They entered quietly once they finished.

Grimmjow returned to the front of the house and came to a stop upon seeing them all. His eyes were wide and his brows raised as he demanded, "What are yo- I mean- _What are you kits doing here?!"_

_"We want to see mother," _Agriya answered again.

That made the human scratch is head and glance back to where he'd come. He blew out a breath. "Fine," he sighed as he placed his hands on his hips. _"Okay, but wait until he's eaten."_

The kits nodded.

_"How did you get here anyway? I your father around?"_

_"We walked here by ourselves, we didn't need father to bring us."_

_"Does he know where you are?" Or that you even left the village?"_

Agriya shrugged. _"We told our sisters and grandmother, but we don't know if they told father."_

Grimm looked to Pan. "This may end badly."

The runt nodded vigorously.

"I guess I should feed them."

Pan nodded again; his brothers had definitely snuck away without eating.

Shaking his head, Grimm headed back into the kitchen. "Have them sit down somewhere; I'll whip up some more pancakes."

"Yes, Gimm-_pitr_." Pan looked back to his brothers who were giving him expectant looks. _"Gimm-poppy says sit down while he makes you something to eat."_

They nodded quietly and sat on the floor with relieved sighs. Agriya and Saniyas rested back on their hands with their legs outstretched while Trita sat with his legs crossed and his hands tucked in his lap. _"Your brain must hurt from knowing two languages," _he commented easily.

_"It's probably big," _Agriya assumed.

_"I bet it makes up for how small he is," _Saniyas murmured.

Pan wasn't sure if he was being complimented or not so he said nothing. After a long and awkward pause, he turned intending on finishing his own meal.

_"Where are you going?" _Trita asked.

Pan pointed. _"I'm going to finish eating." _When nothing was said, he climbed into his seat. He listened quietly as he ate.

_"He's so small; how is he still living?"_

_"Mother protected him of course, I don't see why though. She should've just stayed with us and father."_

_"Mm hm. And father wasn't lying; that human really does have blue hair! Weird!"_

_"What if mother has blue hair now from mating with him?"_

_"I don't think father would want her back, but he didn't say anything about it, so maybe her hair is still black."_

_"Catching blue hair sounds silly. I wonder what the human is making… smells good."_

_"I wonder if mother can cook too."_

_"Grandmother can so she must've taught mother how to cook before she ran away."_

_"That sounds right. Hey you."_

Pantera turned around figuring that "you" was him.

_"Can mother cook?" _Agriya asked.

He shrugged. _"I like momma's cooking, but Gimm-pitr cooks more than him."_

Agriya scrunched his nose. _"Why do you and that human call mother 'he'?"_

The smaller kit sighed. Honestly, he was asked that question far too much, and it was getting tiresome. _"Momma is a boy, but he can have kits so that makes him a momma."_

Saniyas made a face that said "are you stupid or something?" _"Mother is a girl."_

_"No, he is a boy. Momma and Gimm-pitr say so, so it's true."_

_"Mother must not be very bright is she doesn't know that she is a she."_

_"That would explain why she would run off to protect a runt instead of staying with her strong alpha and healthy kits._

Pantera flushed angrily at the insult to his mother, but Grimmjow beat him to the punch.

_"Say something rude about my mate, your mother, one more time, and I'll punish you. I'm sure you heard what I did to Himsa to straighten him out."_

The trio stiffened; apparently they had. Agriya glared warily, Trita slumped down a bit, but it was Saniyas who foolishly spoke. _"You don't scare me human."_

Grimm cackled, making Pantera flinch; he'd never heard the bluenet make a sound like that before. _"Just you wait, kit, you haven't seen me angry yet." _He turned away from the counter balancing three plates of small pancakes on his arm and a towel draped on the other. He walked out, set the towel down and then the plates on top of that. While they stared, pondering what it was, Grimmjow left and returned with cups of water and a bowl of sliced bananas. _"Eat up."_

It took a moment, but once Agriya scooted forward and picked up a flapjack, the others followed suit. Soon they were eating silently.

Grimmjow gathered up Pantera's dishes and tossed them into the sink, he wiped down the counter and stove before heading towards the back. Not wanting to stay alone with his rude brothers, Pantera followed close behind. They entered the bathroom.

His mother was lounging in the tub, his arms dangling over the side and his head resting on the edge, an elevated tray rested within arm's reach.

_"Suprabhavya, matr!" _Pan greeted and kneeled down to get a kiss.

His mother opened his eyes and kissed him. _"Suprabhavya, Ksudra."_

Grimm sighed and rested on the toilet lid. "Sorry to ruin your soak, but your kids are here."

Ulquiorra's eyebrows came together and he looked at Pan.

"The ones you haven't seen in two years."

The eyebrows lifted before coming back down. His green eyes shifted over to the side in an uncertain look.

"They really want to meet you."

Ulqui sighed and stood up out of the water. "I'll dress." He paused as he wrapped a towel around himself. "And Pezala?"

"He's not here."

"Good." He quickly fried his hair and left for the bedroom.

Pan moved to follow once more, but was stopped. "Hop in, Pan. You need a bath."

b~~~d

Ulqui dressed slowly in a long-sleeved shirt and loose-fitting jeans. He'd never imagined seeing the other kits he'd birthed ever again. It felt weird, perhaps even wrong, to have them there looking forward to seeing him. After all, he didn't even claim them as his own. They wanted to meet their mother, but was he really that?

Sighing, he took a brush to his hair and braided it before heading out.

They were seated by empty plates on the floor in the dining room, and he lingered by the entryway while they talked amongst themselves.

_"Pitr said that matr is pretty," _the kit with one good eye said. _"You both have her eyes."_

_"And you have her hair," _one green-eyed kit with a strip of leather about his neck pointed out to the other kit whom hadn't spoken yet.

The one-eyed one sighed sadly and planted his chin on his fists. _"I don't have any of matr's looks…" _Ulqui shifted and his jeans shushed quietly against the carpeted floor, but it was enough to draw the kits' attention. _"Matr?"_

Hesitating momentarily, Ulqui walked out of the slightly shadowed entry way. He said nothing, only standing there quietly as the kits observed him. Their eyes and heads moved about as they looked him over as he'd done them only seconds ago.

The one-eyed one was the first to his feet and bounding over towards him. _"Matr!" _He plowed into his leg and latched on, nuzzling his nose into his hip. The other two got up and ran to attack his legs as well.

The whole thing was startling for Ulqui, and he had his hands clasped against his chest, unsure of what to do with them. After a few seconds, he shakily reached down to pet the head of the one-eyed one.

He looked up with surprise, but then happiness replaced it. _"Tvam kamiyami, matr."_

_"I love you too matr!"_ the second one proclaimed.

_"We love you even though you weren't there," _the one with the strap announced.

Ulqui's heart seized at the words. These kits shouldn't love them. Not when he'd left them.

_"Matr?" _the second green-eyed one murmured, still snuggling up to his leg. _"Say something, matr."_

The leather strap kit hit him once in the arm. _"Pitr said that matr doesn't talk."_

_"Oh yeah… can you really not talk, matr?"_

Ulquiorra pursed his lips and swallowed thickly. _"I can… just don't…"_

The kits gasped elatedly. _"You have a pretty voice, matr." _the one-eyed one complemented.

_"Dhanyavada." _He retracted his hand and reclasped it over his heart. _"What are your names?"_

_"I'm your first-born, Agriya."_

_"I was born next, so I'm Saniyas."_

_"I'm Trita."_

Ulqui shook his head. _"Awful names."_

_"Will you rename us then, mother?" _Agriya, the kit who woe the strap, asked.

The shaking continued. _"I do not have the right."_

Trita was insistent. _"Yes, you do, matr! You do."_

He looked over his shoulder when the bathroom door opened. Pantera tottered out wrapped in a towel, and Grimm walked out behind him, flipping off the light and closing the door only enough to leave it slightly ajar. Pan's wet ears perked when he noticed his mother's gaze.

"Hi, _matr_," he peeped before darting into his room to put on some clothes.

Grimmjow didn't follow, he instead threw an arm around Ulqui and kissed him; the kiss made the mama-cat feel better. He then turned to put the clothes he carried into the hamper in the bedroom, and Ulqui looked back at the three other kits.

Saniyas was glaring at his human's retreating back.

_"Do not glare at my sayuj."_

Saniyas jumped at his tone and nuzzled his hip, asking for forgiveness. Ulqui gave his head a pat, reassuring him.

He shooed them, wanting to sit and headed over to where his pillow was. It was situated in the corner of the living room in the space between the wall and the couch, and his knitting materials were placed neatly in a wicker basket next to it. Flopping heavily onto it, he dragged his nearly complete blanket onto his lap and picked up his needles. "_Who brought you here? Your matamaha?" _he asked as the three kits gathered around his legs.

_"No, we came here all by ourselves." _Agriya said truthfully.

_"Kim?"_

_"We're really good at finding our way around, even in new territory," _Trita self-praised.

_"Don't do that again."_

_"It's okay, mother," _Agriya soothed.

_"No, it's not. You are much too young to be wandering off on a two-hour journey; it's dangerous."_

They hesitated and glanced at each other before lowering their heads, each murmuring a resigned, _"Yes, ma'am."_

Ulqui nodded and his needles began clicking as the worked them. The trio scooted closer and closer as time went by, and by the time Pan had joined them in the living room, they were seated on the pillow with him. Trita was on his left leaning against the wall, Saniyas sat slightly on the floor with the basket of the yarn balls in his lap for some reason, and Agriya sat near Ulqui's knee with his legs tucked under the blanket.

Pan got his drawing kit from the coffee table. _"Is it almost done, matr?"_

Ulqui shrugged as he looked it over. _"Maybe… I actually just don't know when to stop…"_

Pan giggled. _"Make one big enough to cover the entire nest!"_

_"Don't say silly things like that," _Agriya chided, _"the nest is way too big."_

Pan pouted. _"I was joking."_

_"Well, it was a bad joke!" _Saniyas said.

_"Be nice," _they all heard Grimm call as he passed through. His phone buzzed and he pulled it out. "Hello? Oh, hey Ori-hmm? Swamped? What happened with-?" He sighed heavily. "I knew that Yammy character was nothing but trouble; has he come to work, at all, this week? Knew it…" He squeezed the bridge of his nose. "One sec." He pulled the phone from his ear. "I'm needed at work, but do you need me here?"

Ulqui shook his head. "They seem to be well-behaved; Pezala has raised them well enough."

The human nodded and got back on the phone. "I'll be there as soon as I can," he said as he headed towards the back to get dressed as well. Soon enough, he was dressed, pressing kisses to Ulqui and Pan and was out the door.

_"Where is he going?" _Trita asked.

_"He needs to go work," _Ulqui said simply.

Trita didn't appear to really understand, but dropped the matter to instead snuggle closer, getting under his arm and resting against his side. Ulqui tensed but eventually went back to knitting.

Moments passed by in silence, and Ulqui became so immersed in his knitting that he forgot about the kits invading his personal space.

_"Matr."_

"Hm?" he grunted without looking up.

"They're asleep."

Blinking owlishly, he lifted his head and looked about.

Trita was slumped heavily against his side, purring quietly with his ears drooping, Saniyas sat with his head resting in the basket, and Agriya had crawled under the blanket, leaving only his tail peeking out.

"I wander when they woke up," Pan murmured.

"Really early."

Three loud knocks sounded at the front door, startling the three older kits awake. Reacting on instinct, Ulquiorra reached out and touched their heads, shushing them softly. They mewled unhappily, but soon settled again.

"I'll get it," Pan said and went to the door. It opened to reveal Toshiro and Rangiku. "Shi'o!"

"Hey, everyone!" Rangiku greeted loudly.

"SSH!"

The busty woman jumped. "Oh, sorry, sorry. Wait why are you shushing me?"

Pan pointed, directing both of the newcomers' attention to his slumbering elder brothers.

"Who are they?" Toshiro asked?

"My big brothers."

"Really?" Rangiku asked. Wanting to have a closer look, she strolled over, the heels of her stilettos sinking into the carpet; Ulqui still couldn't understand how she walked in those things-sandals and flats were just fine for him. She crouched (Ulqui had to divert his gaze from her awkwardly exposed cleavage) and gently lifted the blanket from Agriya. "Aww," she cooed. "They are just the cutest! Just like Pan. Boy, their father must be quite the hottie."

The neko stiffened. "I wouldn't know."

Rangiku covered Agriya once more, and gave Ulqui a playful jab in the arm. "Now, now, no need to be shy. Spill; is he hot or not?"

"Ms. Matsumoto," Toshiro scolded and glared disapprovingly at his guardian and wanna-be-mother. "Mr. Ulquiorra and Pantera's father were never on good terms; stop mentioning him."

Rangiku looked actually regretful. "Oh, I'm sorry, Ulqui."

Ulqui looked down at his needles and made one knit as he spoke. "… it's fine…" He grimaced and carefully undid the knot he'd made on accident.

The orangette was back to smiling. "Good. Now about your- "

"**You're **supposed to be heading to work," Toshiro interrupted.

At that, she took out her phone which she had stowed in her bra. "Oh, you're right." She shot to her feet, and headed towards the door, kissing Toshiro as she passed. "Well, I'll be going. See you all later."

Pan and Shiro looked at each other after the door closed. "Wanna play in the back," Pan asked.

"Of course." They left after Pantera donned his shoes.

Ulquiorra was left alone with his sons. He took solace in the fact that they were still asleep and he could avoid their unwarranted affection and innocent questions. He relaxed and went back to knitting.

x~x

"Hmm…" Agriya suddenly grunted -drawing Ulqui's attention- and then lifted his head with a yawn.

The neko had long since stopped knitting as his hands were cramping up. The needles laid primly on his lap with the unfinished craft still covering his legs as well as Agriya and Saniyas whom he'd moved away from the basket. "… Sleep well?"

He nodded. "Mm hm… _wait. How long were we asleep?"_

Trita and Saniyas were stirring by then, yawning and stretching out their small bodies. Ulqui had to shift so that Trita could move from under his arm.

_"About two hours," _was what Ulqui said.

Saniyas rubbed an eye. _"What's about two hours?"_

_"We slept for two hours!"_

_"Kim?!"_ Trita cried.

Ebony brows knitted together. _"It's alright that you slept." _Ulqui assured.

_"It's not!" _Trita protested. _"That was two hours we could've spent talking to you and asking questions and just… being with you."_

He laced his fingers. _"You were with me, I never moved from this spot while you slept."_

The kits looked at him for a moment. They hugged him once more, telling him how much they loved him. Ulqui only chewed his lip and let them do as they pleased.

He stopped them after a while. _"Please get off, I have to pee."_

_"Yes, ma'am," _they giggled as they scattered.

Legs stiff and shaky from sitting still for so long, he got up and headed to the restroom, glad that the kits didn't follow him like little ducklings. He relieved himself quickly and went back out. Pan and Toshiro had returned from their outdoor play.

Agriya had his arms crossed as he looked Toshiro over with suspicion. _"Who are you?"_

_"He's my friend," _Pantera told him.

"Something wrong?" Toshiro asked.

"They just wanted to know who you were. I told them you're my friend."

The snow-colored kit nodded.

Ulqui headed for the kitchen. _"Anyone hungry?"_

The kits who understood him happily said "yes" as did Toshiro once Pan translated for him. The mama-cat instructed them to sit on the floor as he pulled out sandwich stuff. Once done, he served them with glasses of juice and made himself a sandwich before joining them.

_"I'll be taking you home," _Ulqui announced between bites. _"You're not walking home by yourselves."_

_"But then who will walk you home?" _Agriya asked.

_"No one."_

His thin eyebrows knitted. _"But you need someone to take you home too; you're a girl."_

His eye twitched. _"I am not. I am male."_

_"Matr, you can't really think that you're a boy," _Agriya huffed in disbelief. _"You gave birth to us; only girls can do that."_

_"And I am both male and female, and I decided long ago that I was male." _Ulqui gave him a severe look. _"And this will be the last we'll speak of it, understand."_

Agriya didn't speak.

_"Agriya, do you understand?"_

_"No, matr, I don't; none of us do."_

Ulquiorra set his mostly eaten sandwich down. _"Bathe with your matamahi when you can."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because I'm sure you'll understand why I feel the way I do when you share a bath with her."_

_"Okay," _they chorused.

_"I'm sorry, matr. Are you mad now?" _Agriya apologized.

_"It's fine, kit. I just do not like arguing over my gender."_

_"I won't do it again."_

_"Good."_

After finding their meal, they all went outside. The five kits played with the few outdoor toys Pantera had -a couple of balls, a Frisbee which Ulqui had to retrieve from the other side of the fence or the roof a few times, and a jump rope that he'd borrowed from Katen.

_"Play with us matr," _Trita urged.

Hopping down from the seat he'd taken on a branch of the tree in the back, he strolled over. _"Alright, but only for a moment." _He caught the ball thrown at him by Pan and joined in on the fun.

It was nearly 5:30 when they finally turned in, and Ulqui decided that he'd better start taking the other kits home. He went to the house phone in the kitchen to call Grimm.

"Hey, whatsup?" Grimm asked cheerfully, and loudly so he'd be heard over the din in the background.

"I need to take the kits home, but I don't want to take Shiro and Pantera with me."

"Forgot Shiro was coming over," he mumbled to himself. "Ah… see if Shunsui and them are available to watch Pan and Shiro. Actually, if you're parents get a hold of you, you might be there a while, maybe call Starrk, he's off today."

"Okay, I'll do that. Bye."

"See you tonight."

Ulqui hung up and called Starrk.

The sleepy man arrived maybe 30 minutes later, and then Ulqui left with kits.

As they traveled, it slowly grew darker and per the older neko's request, the trio stayed close. Their pace slowed as they tired out, but they'd regain some energy after a moment's rest. Probably two and a half passed before they reached the village's edge.

Ulquiorra looked on from the shadow of a tree and urged the kits to go. They hesitated but left his side after nuzzling his legs in goodbye, and he stepped back intending on heading home right away.

_"You there!"_

He yelped when the back of his sweater was grabbed and he was yanked backwards, towards the village. His assailant misjudged his weight however, and he ended up flying a few feet and landing hard on his rear. He quickly rolled to his stomach but the sounds of crashing and snarling behind him made him obey the freeze option of the fight, flight, or freeze rule in these situations. He covered his head and curled into a ball in efforts not to be mistaken as hostile.

_"Wait, wait, wait!"_

_"Stop, don't hurt her!"_

_"That's our matr!"_

The growling stopped. _"Your matr?"_

Ulqui slowly moved his hands from his head and lifted it to peer over his shoulder at the neko who'd thrown him and the three kits protecting him.

His assailant was obviously from the _Simah _clan what with his massive size and large amount of hair. He also looked rather familiar.

"Ko…mala?" he quested.

The Simah member relaxed from his offensive stance. _"Atridrutam?" _Ulqui lifted his head more and Komala smiled when he could better see his face. _"Leza! It's been so long." _He walked forward and stooped to help Ulqui up.

He slapped the hand away and scrambled to his feet. _"Don't touch me!"_

_"Ah, I'm sorry for throwing you," _he apologized. _"I thought you were a threat; you smell and look human."_

The conversation was attracting others, as a group was gathering around them, all of the neko's recognizing Ulqui as the female who'd run away so many years ago. Many were awed and even happy to see him, to see that he looked well and healthy, and then there were a few snide jeers from some males to quickly grab Ulqui and put him with a male that would keep him from running off again; some volunteered for that position. Worst of all, the one neko Ulqui never wished to see again pushed to the front: Pezala.

_"Nice to see you again in such a short time, matr of my kits," _he purred. He grabbed Ulquiorra about the waist and pulled him close. _"Abandoning that human to be with me finally?"_

Ulqui's words caught in his throat, and he violently lurched away. Breathing heavily, he backed up and warily looked around, not wanting to look at Pezala, but at the same time he was surrounded by the expectant and even envious gazes of the village members staring at him.

_"What's wrong? Can't do anything without your human to hide behind?"_

_I won't stay here. I refuse to listen to him. _He turned to run but met a solid chest. He fought when strong arms wrapped around him.

_"Ssh, it's okay putri," _his father's voice came. Without waiting, he picked Ulqui up and set him on his hip. _"Return to your work, everyone, my putri doesn't wish to speak with anyone."_

Ulquiorra heard the group slowly disperse as he buried his face into his father's neck.

_"That means you as well, Pezala."_

After a while, Vegatama began to walk slowly, undoubtedly towards the home he shared with his wife and sons. _"Were you really intending on returning the kits without stopping to say hello to your parents? I'm disappointed, putri."_

Ulqui said nothing, he only buried his face into his father's neck and clung tighter. Safe. He was safe here.

_"Who is-" his_ mother, Sulalita, paused as Vega carried their 'daughter' in and set him down. _"Putra!" _Vegatama growled quietly at her and she reluctantly revised her outburst to _"putri"._

Ulqui scooted over to where his other was sitting and snuggled up to her.

_"What's wrong, Ulqui?"_

_"Her former mate cornered her," _Vega answered for him. _"She's only shaken, she'll recover."_

Ulqui felt his mother nod before reaching up to pet his flattened ears. _"Can I speak with Ulqui for a moment? Alone?"_

_"What for? Whatever you need to say to her you can say in front of me."_

_"Please, husband," _Sulalita implored.

_"What are you hiding from me?" _Vegatama demanded, crossing his thick arms, and his tail lashing, irritated, behind him. _"You've been very quiet and secretive as of late."_

_"I'm hiding nothing."_

_"You are."_

_"I am not, husband!"_

Ulqui's voice was muffled by the thick hide of Sulalita's dress. _"Both of you, stop yelling!" _He lifted his head. _"Pitr… would it be so hard to just let mother speak to me in private? Can't she just have that?"_

He blew out an annoyed breath before turning and storming out. _"We will speak on this again later, wife."_

The normally happy neko let out a long breath, seeming to deflate into a slumped sitting position.

Ulquiorra sat up more and looked his mother over. She looked… tired… stressed… unlike herself. _"What's wrong, matr? You never raise your voice at pitr like that."_

She waved a hand. _"Same as you. Pezala. That male is a real creep and I can see why you ran away from him."_

Ulqui stiffened. _"What has he done?"_

_"Nothing, and hopefully he never will do anything." _She laughed without humor. _"Honestly the only thing probably keeping me safe is that I'm wife of the chief. He really wants you, and since we look the same, he… lurks after me. Just staring at me like I'm prey meant for him to hunt. I'm afraid to go anywhere by myself nowadays."_

_"Haven't you told pitr?"_

_"Psh, goodness no. Your pitr would rip him apart."_

_"That's a good thing."_

_"But then who would take care of those kits?"_

The younger neko stiffened and looked away.

_"And I know you have a difficulty seeing them as your own."_

He nodded solemnly. _"They're… good kits."_

Sulalita scoffed. _"Which is surprising to say the least." _She clapped and placed a hand on Ulqui's. _"Speaking of them, did they get there safely? I didn't realize that they intended on going by themselves until it was too late."_

_"They got to my nest safely, and I scolded them for traversing there by themselves."_

Sulalita shook her head with a pleased gleam in her eyes. _"You may not claim them, but your maternal side greatly cares for them. Did they behave well?"_

_"Well enough, though they're jealous of Pan. Then again, they have every right to be. I've only claimed Pan as my own, but not them… Matr. Matr, they love me…" _

_"That's good."_

He shook his head. _"But I don't know if I love them back. I don't deserve their affection if I'm unwilling to love them back."_

_"Now, now, you never said that you were unwilling. You're only unsure. It'll all become clear in time." _She petted his hand before returning both her hands to her lap. _"You're probably hungry from your trip. Here, I'll get you something, and then you can help me with my string craft! I'm getting better at it."_

The edge of his lip twitched, wanting to form a smile, and he nodded.

x~x

Ayasa and Himsa were very happy to have their big sister over, so much so that when faced with the decision of whether or not to sleep in the small extra room with Ulqui instead of their mother or father, they convinced them to let them all sleep together. Vega was closest to the entryway, lying on his side with Ulqui nearly flushed to him; Ulqui's back to his front. Ayasa and Himsa were nearly laying on top of each other as they slept between Ulqui and their mother.

Ulqui was nearly asleep, but woke when he felt his father shift to support himself on one arm. _"Sulalita… wife."_

There was shifting on the other side of his brothers. "Mm… hm?"

_"Has that new male been bothering you?"_

Ulqui opened his eyes a crack.

_"No, husband. Why do you ask?"_

_"Your odd behavior started when he joined our clan… Has he spoken to you? Touched you? Harmed you?"_

_"No, husband, he's done nothing."_

_"Then why are you acting so oddly?"_

_"There is… no reason."_

There was a long pause and then an annoyed huff from Vega; Sulalita diverted her eyes. _"Come here," _he ordered and carefully moved away, and Sulalita followed after a moment's hesitation. Ulqui lifted up after a moment as well and peeked out the doorway.

At first his parents were just standing there, his father looking menacingly at Sulalita who couldn't meet his eyes, the neko female focused on the floor and her hands which she clenched against her chest. The big male made a low growl deep in his chest, and she yelped when he grabbed her, a hand gripping her scruff and the other around her waist, and yanked her into him. She went mostly limp, though she managed to bring her hands up to grip his biceps before he bit down into her throat. He bit harder. Sulalita whimpered and Ulqui flinched as blood was drawn.

Sulalita released a sob and Vegatama slowly lowered to the floor after he released he throat and just held her close. He laved over the bite with a careful tongue. _"You're lying to me, and I don't like it. You'd better tell me the truth soon, because if I find out on my own, you will not like what happens." _He released her completely and she slipped from his lap. _"Present yourself."_

Sulalita looked to her husband with teary green eyes before lowering them and turning to rest on her hands and knees with her rear towards him. Vega moved the clothing blocking his way and mounted her.

The coupling was silent and quick as it was meant only to mark Sulalita as his and his only, not to be touched nor sought after by another man. Sound came when the female whimpered as Vega's barbs engaged. They separated after a moment.

Vegatama grabbed her and pulled her into arms again. He kissed the top of her head and buried his nose into her hair. _"Tvam kamiyami."_

A muffled sniffle came from where her head was buried in his shoulder. _"I love you, too," _she said back. She gripped his arms harder, accidentally leaving angry lines with her claws. _"I'd never betray you… do you believe me?"_

He nodded. _"Yes."_

Ulqui watched them for a little longer, but when they showed no signs of moving from their spot, he returned to bed.

x~x

He woke with a yelp when his ankle was grabbed and he was dragged from where he was resting.

_"Don't be lazy, putri,"_ his father chided softly. _"Up and out of bed with you."_

Ulqui wiped sleep crust from his eyes. _"Yes pitr," _he grumbled and rolled to his feet.

_"The matings you've done haven't worked; you're fertile," _Vega commented.

Ears perked, he looked down. Since he'd removed his jeans for the night he could clearly see a few droplets of blood staining his gray briefs. Saying nothing, he went over to where his jeans were folded and pulled a pad from his back pocket; he'd been aware that his cycle would be starting soon. His father watched as he unwrapped the pad and placed it in his underwear, and the wrapping were balled up and put in his pocket.

After donning his jeans, he followed Vega from the bedroom. His mother was in the main room of the home stirring something in a pot on the cooking fire. She looked up with a warm smile. _"Suprabhavya, putra -er- putri," _she corrected herself quickly.

_"Suprabhavya." _Ulqui took a seat next to the female. _"I'll be leaving after the morning meal."_

_"Aw, won't you stay longer?"_

He shook his head. _"No, matr, I wasn't even supposed to stay the night; Grimm is probably worried."_

She made a face as if she'd forgotten about Grimmjow. _"Oh, dear. We can't have him worrying over your welfare. Very well. But…"_

Ulqui cocked his head.

_"Do you think you could… maybe… walk around with me for a bit? Not for too long though."_

After a moment of thought, Ulqui nodded. _"I can do that."_

Sulalita beamed. _"Great. Oh!" _She looked back to her pot. _"Morning meal is done. Let's eat."_

Breakfast went by in silence, and once they were done, Ulqui and his mother went outside, locked arms and began their stroll around the village. It wasn't bustling, but it was definitely busy as Ulqui remembered the village being when he was young. They caught many stares as they wandered, but ignored them. Eventually, they found themselves in the play area. There weren't many kits there yet, but that would change as the day went on. Unexpectedly, the silence was broken.

_"Intruder!"_

_"It's a human!"_

_"Back off! I know Sri Vegatama, and I'm here to get my mate!"_

Sulalita looked to her son. _"It's Grimm. Go to him, I'll be right behind you."_

Ulqui nodded before taking off.

The bluenet was standing amongst a group of male nekos. The only things keeping them all away was his words and piercing blue gaze. Ulqui pushed through the crowd. "Grimmjow."

The glare went away, and he turned to catch the rushing neko in his arms. _"There you are!" _he said, still speaking in the native tongue of the crowd around him. He lifted Ulqui in the air by his waist and held him there for a moment. _"You had me worried, you weren't supposed to have stayed out so long." _Grimm brought him back down to his feet.

_"I'm sorry," _Ulqui murmured. _"Time got away from me, and I ended up staying with my parents."_

Grimm kissed him on the temple. _"It's okay, I knew where you were, so no harm done."_

Most of the males around began whispering to each other over that last comment. Ulqui's ears flattened at the whispered, "I would never let my wife wander off,"s, the "I'd have punished her,"s and "I wouldn't let her out of the house for days."

Ulqui moved closer. "Let's go."

He nodded. "I'll say hi to Vegatama and Sulalita, and then we can go."

It was then that Sulalita pushed through the crowd. She smiled when she saw him. _"Hello, narya jamatr."_

He smiled and pulled her into a hug. _"Hello, matr."_

There was a collective gasp around them.

_"How dare you touch a female that's not yours!"_

_"That is the wife of our chief!"_

_"Release her now!"_

_"WHAT IS ALL THIS NOISE!"_

Everything went quiet as Vegatama pushed to the center of the crowd. His eyebrows rose in shock and then lowered once more into a suspicious glower. _"How did you find this place?"_

Ulqui looked at Grimm; that was a good question.

Grimm waved his phone which he'd been clutching in his hand. _"I tracked him down."_

_"Are you really that good at tracking?"_

_"Eh, sorta."_

Ulqui gave him a dubious look until the human explained further.

Grimm touched the collar he'd bought him and Pantera so long ago. "There's a tracking device in the tag."

"So you cheated?"

"I just used my resources."

Vegatama interrupted before Ulqui could counter. _"I would rather you spoke in our tongue when in this village."_

_"Ah, forgive me, Vegatama."_

_"That's Sri Vegatama, human!" _someone from the crowd screamed.

_"Quiet!" _Vegatama ordered. _"Disperse!"_

Grimm shook his head. _"Don't worry, we'll just get out of here."_

_"Oh, husband, may I walk them to the village edge?" _Sulalita asked.

_"You may."_

Sulalita grabbed Ulqui's hand and started towards the exit, and Grimmjow followed close behind. They walked in silence. As they walked, Ulqui noticed that they were walking much farther from the village than his mother had promised she'd escort them, but he didn't quite care to say anything, he was just glad to be away from the village. Seven years, and it was still so stifling, and females were still seen as objects to be owned.

He shook his head. Such thoughts were just depressing him, and he wanted to think of something else. Like his sister. Where was she? He voiced his concern.

_"Oh, Lajjalu? She moved to the Zardulan Tribe soon after you'd run off and then they moved a couple of seasons ahead of us."_

_"And you haven't heard from her since."_

His mother shook her head. _"I do hope that she's alright, she had two little boys and was expecting more."_

_"I'll tell the folks we know at NRAPA that there may be another neko clan out there, and I'm sure they'll help look for them," _his human said, his words almost fluent now.

Sulalita's eyes misted. _"That would be wonderful, narya jamatr, dhanyavada." _She held out her arms and Grimmjow quickly gave her a warm hug.

Ulqui felt it was time they parted then. _"I'm sorry, matr, but any farther and I'm sure pitr will become cross with you."_

She was released from the hug and sighed. _"You're right, I've already indulged too much." _She grasped Ulqui's hand in both of hers and held it to her chin. _"Promise you'll visit soon? I've gone far too long without my kit and I can't bear it. Maybe all three of you could come? That way you wouldn't have to worry about Pezala?"_

Ulqui looked to Grimmjow then.

_"I'm off next weekend."_

Sulalita beamed and looked back at Ulqui.

_"… I'll… I'll bite back my hatred for that man… if only to visit you and pitr."_

_"I can't wait. I'll start preparing for your stay today!" _She kissed her son and on a final farewell, she headed back towards the village.

* * *

_Finished 12 Aug 2016, 20:09_


End file.
